


To Live and Die in L.A.: Book Two

by Johngoode



Series: To Live and Die in L.A. [2]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV), Supernatural
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:26:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 42,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24587560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Johngoode/pseuds/Johngoode
Summary: Pre Supernatural, post Buffy world where the potentials are gone. Only Faith and Buffy are slayers.
Relationships: Faith Lehane/Dean Winchester
Series: To Live and Die in L.A. [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768837
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	1. Prelude

Prelude  
  
 _Twenty Four Hours ago…_  
  
Xander burst into the great hall and immediately fell.  
  
The pages he was carrying went everywhere as his knee throbbed from the impact "Frak" he said as he snatched the papers from the air one at a time before giving up and taking off running again "Boring conversation anyways." he muttered as he felt his socks slip out from under him again as he ran.  
  
He hated this place.  
  
I mean you’d think it would be cool to live in a huge James Bond villain mansion in the middle of England with horses and hunting dogs and all that jazz. A garage full of cars and a long driveway with security cameras the whole way up would make up for those huge paintings with people looking at you no matter how hard you tried to sleep and grandfather clocks that REALLY go off every fifteen minutes no matter how late it was and that old house smell…but they don’t. You’d think that having a secret base in said mansion like one of those Bond villains complete with huge plasma screen that tracked every slayer operative in the world and phones with tons of flashing lights that no one knew how they worked would be the shizzle. But being the ONE guy in the organization that didn’t even pass community college much less Watcher school so you ended up doing crappy jobs like grabbing coffee and reading the news feeds at 4am would make that thought vanish pretty quickly.  
  
And you’d think all those long ass halls with polished floors would make a Risky Business type slide easy in the middle of the night but Xander Harris had bruises up and down his shin to prove you wrong.  
  
He burst into the situation room with a crash. Both Giles and Wesley tried not to notice the commotion as the other three watchers looked over at him with that scalding British stare that looked so damn funny on BBC but in real life? Not so funny. He bit his bottom lip as he closed the doors behind him and the conversation resumed.  
  
"I don’t see much choice." stuffed shirt guy one said. They all had names but Xander to be honest hadn’t bothered to remember one of them. These three men were the only watchers to survive The First Evil’s attacks years ago because they had been off on leave. Because they liked vacations they ended up being what was left of a thousand year old tradition of guiding Slayers and deciding where to put them.  
  
And because Wesley owned the house he got to be in charge "Well it’s not hard to do when you are narrowing your mind so much." Wesley said under his breath. His 5 o’clock shadow was at about 9:30 which meant they hadn’t let the room since Xander had left. "What do you think?" he asked Giles.  
  
Xander knew Giles thought something very bad because he paused to take off his glasses and polish them, meaning he was trying to find words that made what came next a little softer "I think we might be in trouble." he said.  
  
Wesley sighed as he walked around the huge round table that made up the center of the room. "And you agree?" Wesley asked to stuffed shirt guy two, who of course nodded with his best stiff upper lip crap "And you?" Wesley asked to Stuffed shirt number three who had no choice at this point than to join the bobbleheaded idiots who had preceded him. He sat down with a sigh at the other end of the table and ran his hands through his hair. The room was silent save the small clicks the screen made as it changed its position.  
  
Faith’s picture flashed up on the screen.  
  
Xander winced as he saw the APB from the Los Angeles police print out claiming they were looking for an escaped fugitive in conjunction with the arson and body found at a local motel. Consider the suspect armed and dangerous. Faith looked cocky even in her mug shot.  
  
"It’s not her." Xander said in the silence, garnering looks from all five watchers. Stuffed shirt number two arched one of his perfectly quaffed eyebrows "And you come to this conclusion how?"  
  
Xander thought about shoving his socked foot down his throat. Instead he adjusted his patch slightly and said "Because I know Faith." Xander saw Wesley shake his head slightly but he went on anyways "She’s changed, this isn’t like her." he said pointing at the screen as it pulled up local news images of the motel burning and the fire department pulling out the charred body of a local pizza boy from the wreckage.  
  
"Actually" stuffed shirt number one said "It sounds exactly like her." He picked up a file and now Xander winced "She held Mr. Pryce hostage, killed several humans as well as…"  
  
"Enough" Wesley said standing up and slamming his hand down on the desk "We know the story."  
  
Stuffed shirt number three looked at him "Are you sure?"  
  
Wesley glowered at him and looked to say something when Giles said softly "We’re done here. Thank you gentlemen you’re dismissed."  
  
The three watchers looked at Giles and then back to Wesley, who was standing there with his fists trembling with rage. Like disgusted ducks they all waddled out, their obvious displeasure in every single measure step they took. Xander turned to follow when Giles said "Xander you may stay." He was pleased to see the three men turn and look in shock as the doors closed on their faces. He couldn’t resist sticking his tongue out at them.

  
Giles sighed "Really?" Xander slipped his tongue in slowly as he continued "Hard to believe they won’t take you seriously as a watcher isn’t it?"  
  
Xander turned to look at him "They don’t take anyone serious who wasn’t born with one of those suits on." he sat down at the table "She so didn’t do that."  
  
Wesley looked at him and then looked away but Giles nodded "I don’t think she did either."  
  
Wesley turned now looking at Giles "You don’t? She goes out there, sends a dozen men to the hospital, none of who were connected to any of the girl’s disappearance and then her motel room is burned down with a body in the closet? And you think what? This is a misunderstanding?"  
  
Giles just stared at him for a second and then said "I think life is complicated. Missions doubly so."  
  
"This isn’t a mission." Wesley said jabbing a finger at the screen as Faith’s mug shot cycled through again "This is a disaster."  
  
Giles nodded "All the more reason not to jump to conclusions."  
  
Xander watched as the two men a debated back and forth. In the lull he said "She called me!"  
  
Both men looked at him.  
  
"Day before yesterday. She called me, was asking about hunters, she had figured out the girls were potentials." he said "She sounded…she didn’t sound crazy."  
  
Giles leaned forward "And what does crazy sound like?" he more demanded than asked.  
  
Xander swallowed hard "Little like Stewie from Family Guy?"  
  
Wesley exploded "Damnit Xander! Why didn’t you tell us that? Did she say anything else? Anything that might have set her off? A clue?" he leaned across the table "Anything?"

  
Xander looked up "No we talked about John Winchester and his kids…and about hunters…and then…" and his face went pale.  
  
"What?" Wesley asked.  
  
"Um…" Xander said feeling very, very small sitting at the table.  
  
"Well come on!" Giles said standing up.  
  
"I might have let it slip that we knew the girls were potentials before we sent her out." he said barely above a squeak.  
  
Wesley and Giles looked at each other and though they didn’t say one word between them, they both were thinking the same thing.  
  
Time to call Buffy.  
  
 _Five minutes ago…_  
  
Buffy made her way into the book store through the roof.  
  
She had seen Faith slip in wearing a sweatshirt that looked large enough to double as a circus tent from across the quad. Xander had mentioned the Winchesters and according to his files the only one that had a real address was the one in college. She had studied the fax Giles had sent her and she had been impressed.  
  
He had the all American thing like Riley without any of the squinty steel the Initiative operative had possessed. She had cocked her head and thought; she could totally rob that cradle a few times.  
  
She shook her head and knew she had been working too long. She folded up the paper and took off towards his dorm, wondering if the new council had personal time off? She had been in Canada near the border of Alaska when she got the call. A whole town had gone off the deep end in vampires and a small group of humans had been holed up in the tiny survival shack like Twinkies in a vending machine. She had gone in with four potentials and cut down the entire pack…group? Coven? What did you call a collection of vampires? A blood? Whatever. They killed a lot of vampires, saving the town and the day. But here she was, no sleep in three days, still smelling like Eskimo vampires looking for Faith.  
  
Fucking Faith.  
  
She didn’t know how many times Giles and Wesley were going to hold their hand out to her just to have her slap it away by doing something like this. It was in Faith's blood, Buffy assumed, but it was getting old, and it was time it stopped.  
  
She had tried, God as her witness she had tried. She had tried to let Faith into her group of friends, tried not to tear her head off when she tried to kill Angel…even tried to give her the benefit of the doubt when she ended up being the long, white haired cat to the Mayor’s evil genius. Who she was pretty sure Faith was banging…ew.  
  
She could have stabbed her in the chest. She could have taken that stupid ass fork looking knife and just shoved it in her slut heart and ended it once and for all. But even there she was lacking, even at the very moment that Angel’s life was in danger…she still couldn’t do it. She had to go with the gut shot.  
  
And then there was taking Riley and screwing him in her body and then somehow turning Angel on her. More sex no doubt. And STILL they gave her chances.. Wesley breaking her out of jail to stop Angelus, and then giving her a pass when she came back to Sunnydale. She had been cautious, wary…Xander even said paranoid. But she knew, she just knew.  
  
Cats didn’t change their spots. Or stripes. Or whatever it was, they didn’t change them.  
And here she was being proven right.  
  
As always, wanna find Faith? Follow the cops cars and screams and sooner or later you’ll find her. And as she approached the book store Buffy saw 'the other Slayer' creeping across the roof as the police argued with some federal agents. Buffy saw her spot and took off, leaping to the roof when no one was looking.  
  
As she made her way into the store, she could hear the people inside screaming and whimpering. No doubt Faith had started early. Always an overachiever that girl. Buffy made her way past the offices, she could see some hot ass guy at the front door waving people out, while the guy she was looking for was sneaking in through the back. From her vantage she could see everything…  
  
Everything but Faith.  
  
These must be the hunters Xander was going on about with his man crush and all! Which meant they were here to stop Faith as well. Good…that meant she was going down. As she moved she saw Faith creeping up behind a blond girl, the guy from the front door began to draw a bead on her. Buffy mentally willed him to shoot her already but he hesitated and Faith grabbed the girl. The tall brother came out, his gun pointed too, but they didn’t have a shot at Faith with the girl there. Buffy saw Faith begin to manhandle the girl as both brothers struggled to find a shot.  
  
"Time to give them one." she murmured as she jumped down the three stories and landed on Faith’s back. Faith fell, completely stunned as the hunters stood in shock. Both looked shocked at her arrival and the shorter one looked concerned as he looked at Faith.  
  
Damnit she had screwed them too.  
  
She looked up at the hostage and said "Run!" The blond girl with the dark eyes looked shocked for a moment and then took off. As the tall one reached out to stop her Buffy knew she had been right, Faith had already worked her sexy magic on them. She grabbed his wrist and spun him on his ass as she said "Back off grabby." he made a satisfying thump as he landed on the ground. Hearing the front door click she sighed and knew things were good.  
  
In the most confident voice she could muster she said "It’s ok. I got it under control. You’re safe now. I’m Buffy and I’m here to stop her." she said pointing at Faith.  
  
Both men looked at her in confusion and anger for a moment and then a shot rang out. Buffy felt pain lance up her leg as she looked down and saw blood.. She looked back and saw Dean advancing on her "Hi Buffy, I’m Dean.." and clocked her in the face.  
  
The world went black after that.  
  
Fucking Faith.


	2. Part One

Buffy was drifting in and out of consciousness as she caught parts of conversations.  
  
"You shot her?" Incredulous, a big voice but softened and deep. Had to be Grabby.  
  
"In the leg." She knew that one. That was 'Dean', would be the one that shot her sounding so dispassionate. Casual.  
  
"But you shot her!" Big boy again.  
  
"Only a little." Grr.  
  
"You can’t shoot anyone a little, Dean!"  
  
And then Faith’s voice.  
  
"You shot her?"  
  
"I did."  
  
"For me?"  
  
A melty purr sound to Faith's voice that Buffy had never heard before and she wished she had a voice to speak- because she wanted to say Faith was dead meat. Not just for her antics in Los Angeles, but also for praising Dean for fucking shooting her.  
  
Silence and then the sound of a kiss as she passed out again.  
  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
Sam was kneeling down as he wrapped the wound in her leg "We’re still surrounded by cops." he said looking up at the two of them kissing.  
  
Faith had her fingers in Dean's hair, cupping his nape as she brought him closer, wanting more. He tasted like gunpowder and sugar- and she wanted to hear what he sounded like when he lost control. She was thinking the counter by the register looked really promising about now, but they were interrupted by Sam making a frustrated sound in their direction.  
  
Dean broke away from Faith reluctantly and looked over at Buffy. "So we take off and leave her to the cops." he said bluntly "Her damn fault we just lost Jessica." Dean saw the small flinch in his brother’s face as he heard the name and then went back to tending to the wound.  
  
"We can’t." Faith said looking down at Buffy, the look on her face clearly showed she didn’t believe she was saying this as well "We have to take her with us." She winced at Dean's look but shrugged, resolute. She knew what she had to do, even if it wasn't a bucket o'fun. "Have to. She can't go to a standard hospital...no more than I can."  
  
Dean looked at Faith in confusion and then saw the expression on her face. It registered in his head what Faith was saying, and there was a silent communion between them. After a few seconds he sighed and nodded "Ok Sam, you grab her shoulders."  
  
Sam looked up "You have a plan for getting her out of here?"  
  
Dean muttered under his breath "Wouldn’t call it a plan per se." louder he said to Faith "You better use the roof and meet us at the Impala." he said. He felt Faith move behind him and kiss his cheek.  
  
"Thank you" she whispered. She stroked her nails just under his jaw and wanted to say more, but they didn't have time. Not right this moment. She went to do her part.  
  
He nodded without turning as she took off. Looking over at Sam he said "You wanna ride with the ambulance or follow in the car?"  
  
Sam made a face as he realized the plan "I’ll drive." he said "I hate hitting ambulance drivers."  
  
Dean pulled the keys out of his pocket and handed them over "Ok, best hurried shock face…" he said as they lifted the downed Slayer and began to sprint towards the front door.  
  
As soon as they burst through the exit, Dean called out "We got a victim here! We need a stretcher!"  
  
The campus police swarmed forward as a stretcher and two paramedics rushed in and took Buffy from them. Dean looked at Sam for a second and then proclaimed "I need to ride with her, she had the best view of what went down." the paramedics not caring much who rode with them nodded and rushed her to the ambulance. Sam went the other way, trying to draw as little attention to himself as possible.  
  
Dean followed the paramedics into the back of the ambulance as one began examining Buffy in the back and the other jumped into the driver’s seat. Within seconds they were off.  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
Sam made it to the car in record time. The cops, too busy flooding into the building looking for clues rather than wondering where the federal agents who had gone in were at was a nice help. Faith was waiting by the car, vibrating with tension. Sam thought she looked a little like a race horse primed to take off.  
  
"Where?" she asked as he cut her off with his hand.  
  
Sam unlocked the driver’s side as he said "They took her away in an ambulance, which we need to catch up with." he said unlocking the passenger side door. She didn’t even hesitate to jump in and strap herself down. He gunned the engine and they took off across the parking lot, Sam doing some math in his head "The closest hospital is St. Francis" he said more to himself "Which would mean they need to cut across Elm to get there." He pulled the car into a sharp right that made Faith grip the door tightly.  
  
"You know where all the hospitals are?" she asked.  
  
He nodded without looking at her "Our dad made it a priority to know the nearest hospitals, police stations and no questions asked motels wherever we went."  
  
Faith was taken back for a second, when Dean had explained they were raised as hunters she hadn’t quite grasped how hard a life that must have been growing up. Dean had a way of bypassing details and getting across his point without showing too much of what he was holding inside. His thoughts were sincere when he shared them, it just did not change that Dean had some aspects locked down. Not that they had had so much time to talk about their childhoods. They had been booking it since they met, truth be told. Dean might have plenty to say on the subject, if he could catch his breath. Still yet, she heard the almost hidden resentment in Sam’s voice as he explained and she could see…it wasn’t a bed of roses for them either.  
  
And she was beginning to understand the younger Winchester’s reservations. About her and trusting her- having her drama and life around his brother. She could not exactly vouch for being an easy person to love or someone their dad would approve of. She couldn't bake or do weird things with her hair while she was talking. Laugh at jokes she didn't find funny. Girly stuff. Her attention was snagged back to the moment by Sam.  
  
"There they are." Sam said spotting the ambulance in the distance, its sirens blaring away. The Impala surged forward again, tapping even more speed as Sam closed the distance within seconds.  
  
Faith looked to the emergency vehicle then to Sam "Um…we have a plan or just going to ram them?"  
  
She saw his jaw clench for a second before he answered, he was either running a bit hot or he was upset. With Jessica out there possessed she couldn’t blame him. In a low voice he said "Dean’s job to get them to pull over."  
  
"And if he can’t get them to?" she asked.  
  
With more than just a touch of pride in his voice Sam glanced at her and said "Trust me, there isn’t much Dean can’t do."  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
Dean watched as the paramedic cut the side of Buffy's jeans down and examined the wound critically. He doused the area liberally with alcohol as he wiped the blood away.  
  
"Not a lot of blood."  
  
The medic said more to himself as he pulled a needle and bottle out of the side compartment. He plunged in into the side of her leg and her breathing relaxed a little. As the medic turned to snag some gauze Dean grabbed the needle and bottle and drew another dose from the small bottle. When the guy turned back around, Dean covered his mouth and shoved the needle into the guy’s neck. The E.M.T.'s eyes grew wide and then slowly closed as the sedative took effect.  
  
Dean laid him down over Buffy as he opened the med cabinet up again. Drawing out a double dose of medication he checked the needle and moved up to the driver’s compartment. Holding the needle behind him he said "Your friend just passed out…is he diabetic or something?"  
  
The driver slowed and looked over his shoulder as Dean yanked him back, stabbing him with the needle and injecting him. The driver moaned as he passed out, the ambulance swerved as Dean pulled him all the way out of the seat and into the back. Dean grabbed the wheel and shifted the truck into neutral. It slowed as he moved it to the side of the road.  
  
He took a deep breath as he turned the ambulance off; he always hated that part of the plan. He sat there in the driver’s seat as he caught his breath, the back opened as Faith and Sam crawled in.  
  
Sam examined the men as Faith moved up to Dean "You think you’re Indiana Jones or something?"  
  
He looked over at her and smiled "We named the dog Indiana."  
  
She had to kiss him for that. She did not have to try too hard to find reasons to kiss Dean. He had become her favorite flavor. They smiled to each other and then she glanced back towards Sam and Buffy.  
  
"She out?" Dean called back to Sam who was checking their Slayer.  
  
"For now." he said checking her pulse "How good are you guys with drugs and meds?"  
  
Faith looked back "Real good." She cocked a brow at Sam's doubtful look. "I'm practically pre-med, swear. I can have her flying until we're in a good spot to...talk. All... nice like."  
  
Dean nodded to the med case "Grab some extra for later."  
  
Sam paused as Dean’s eyes hardened. Sam sighed as he began to scoop the narcotics out of the case and into his pocket. Dean moved past Faith into the back "We need to get somewhere away from here so we can treat her wounds and try and talk some sense into her." he said.  
  
Faith followed him "We need to get out of here." he said to her. She nodded as she picked Buffy up and followed them out of the ambulance. She laid the felled Slayer down in the back seat as Sam got into the passenger’s seat. Dean looked over at him for a second and then jerked his head. It was a patented big brother move.  
  
"What?" Sam asked.  
  
"amscray the ontfray eatsay." Dean hissed under his breath.  
  
Sam paused for a second "Why?"  
  
"Ausecay Iway antway erhay otay itsay upway erehay." Dean said again.  
  
Faith leaned up to the front seat. They were being awful cute. Sam looking all mutinous and indignant, Dean appearing to be considering lifting and shoving his younger brother over the seat if it came to that. Really didn't have to go that far. She smiled, her eyes catching Dean's in the rearview mirror. "You know I do speak pig Latin and it’s ok." she said chuckling. "I can stay back here and look after her."  
  
Dean glared at Sam and muttered "Ockcay ockerblay" and started the car. "Where to?" Dean asked not even looking at his brother.  
  
"Ahead about four miles then to the left." Sam said trying not to sound like he was pouting…and failing miserably. He was always shotgun. He wasn't so sure he liked this 'new way' Dean seemed to be considering.  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
They got a room at the crappy motel Sam had scoped out before hand. Faith and Dean was able to walk Buffy in having her hand on their shoulders, Sam made sure they kept any weight off her leg.  
  
They laid her out on one of the bed as Sam pulled out their medical kit and began to really clean the wound.  
  
Faith went and splashed some water on her face as she tried not to lose it, because she knew damn well what Buffy here meant. She could practically feel a weight around her throat, settling thick and heavy- like a steel collar. The oppressive phantom feeling of being taken to the Council and punished- or tested, which was the same thing with more questions. She wanted to bolt and drag Buffy with her by one ankle. The Winchesters did not need to deal with the Watchers. It was bad enough they were all up to their asses in demons.  
  
Dean sat and watched both Sam and Faith with one eye, this was a bad situation that could dovetail into a disaster at any moment.  
  
After about ten minutes, Sam sat up and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Nice graze." he said "Nothing but flesh…she’s already healing."  
  
Dean nodded, knowing he had taken aim to make sure all he hit was the side of her leg. But as anyone who ever shot a gun knew, bullets had a mind of their own. "Ok she’s gonna be ok." he said standing and looking at Faith "So why you still looking like you killed someone?"  
  
Her tone was harsher than she wanted but she was too emotional to edit right now "I did kill someone Dean." she said taking a step forward. Some part of her mind registered he didn’t take even a half step back. He was not spooked by her. Didn't act like she was going to dissect him in a fit of temper. "That bitch in my body killed someone and they think I did it." she said turning away to continue her pace. She felt his hands on her shoulder and she tensed "They think I’m bad again, Dean."  
  
He kissed in-between her tense shoulder blades lightly and she felt her entire body shiver. "We’ll figure it out." he whispered "I promise."  
  
She spun on him and saw him freeze "Don’t." she said "Do not promise me something you cannot deliver." It sounded like they were talking about what he just said, but they both knew it was far more. Their eyes were locked and they were saying something silently for a very long time when Dean just nodded slightly.  
  
"Ok" he said in a very low voice "I won’t." He turned around and walked towards Buffy and looked down at her for a second. His eyes cut back to Faith. "We will figure this out." he said in a much louder voice "I promise." There was nothing in his voice that would gave anyone any indication he was unsure about his declaration.  
  
Faith was forced to recall Sam saying earlier 'There isn’t much Dean can’t do.' Sam believed it. She was starting to get into the same religion. Her dark eyes smoldered with her thoughts as she crossed her arms over her chest, not averting her gaze from Dean's. She was not daring him with a look, she was letting him 'see' how he touched her.  
  
Sam coughed slightly in the pause "She’s waking up."  
  
Dean looked down and saw he was right, she was indeed waking up.  
  
"Buffy?" he said leaning down trying to rouse her.  
  
Her eyes flashed open and her fist shot out under his chin. He flipped backwards over the other bed before landing on the floor. She surged off the bed and into a fighting stance "Hi Dean, I’m Buffy." she said struggling to stay upright. Sam moved off the bed behind her and she shifted slightly.  
  
Faith was kneeling down checking Dean as Sam moved to the side. "Faith we don’t have to do this." she said not liking the odds at all. The tall one didn’t look happy she just clocked his brother "Just come back to the council and take your medicine."  
  
"Medicine?" Faith repeated, standing up "What medicine is that, Buffy?" Clenching her fists, the dark Slayer lifted her chin.  
  
Buffy cocked her head "Rabies shot?" she said smiling "Temperament?" she snapped her fingers "Oh I know…penicillin?"  
  
And that was it.  
  
Faith kicked the bed up and over towards the blonde Slayer. Buffy blocked the bed as Faith punched through it and into her stomach. Buffy went flying back across the room into the motel door with a solid thud. Sam moved out of the way as Faith moved past him as Buffy tried to get on her feet.  
  
She never would.  
  
The door shattered behind the Slayer as Faith barreled into her at full speed. The two of them went tumbling out into the walkway with a tangle of limbs, Faith not giving the blonde even a second to breathe.  
Buffy felt them roll away from the room and towards the center of the motel courtyard. Faith lunged a knee into her gut, trying to push her back towards the pool. But Buffy lashed out and grabbed the iron gate that surrounded the water with a hand, halting her momentum and tripping up Faith for a second.  
  
Using the gate as leverage, Buffy spun around and landed a swinging kick to the other Slayer’s head. Faith felt Buffy’s stylish yet affordable boots slam into her temple, tossing her to the left, towards the pool for a second. Buffy used the rest of her swing to jump up and land in a crouch. Seeing Faith’s momentary flash of unsteadiness she pounced forward with a loud yaaa! tackling her in the waist as the two of them plunged into the pool.  
  
Dean was leaning on Sam as they made their way out to the pool area. His jaw was swollen as he watched them both pitch into the pool locked in combat. "Thee’s gonna kill her" Dean said through a swollen mouth.  
  
"Please stop talking." Sam said holding him up "You sound like Daffy Duck.’ he said watching the two of them fight in the water. After thirty seconds it was obvious neither one was coming up for air. He leaned Dean against the gate "Stay." he said making sure he wouldn’t fall and then took three steps towards the pool and dove in.  
  
All Dean could see were the three forms on the bottom of the pool, all of them moving as one for a second. After about twenty unbearable seconds of waiting Dean saw them rising up to the surface. He leaned in quickly.  
  
Sam surfaced first, a Slayer in each hand as he gasped a deep breath. Both Buffy and Faith were snarling at each other, but Sam’s reach was longer than theirs. He tossed Faith back to the shallow end as he pushed Buffy towards the edge of the pool "Knock it off already!" he roared as Faith felt ground beneath her and Buffy felt the pool wall hit her back.  
  
Faith was panting as Buffy glared at her "This is what is wrong with you Faith!" Buffy screamed "You can’t handle anything if it isn’t by swinging at someone!" Buffy pulled herself out of the pool with as much grace as she could. Faith wanted to shoot something back but knew…  
  
Buffy was right.  
  
As always whatever control she had possessed and built up was lost the moment that her smug slayer majesty showed up and started spouting off platitudes. She led with her fist…again. Which was going to make proving the Buffy that she hadn’t killed anyone even harder.  
  
"Buffy look…"Faith tried but the other Slayer wasn’t having any of it.  
  
"Save it Faith. I don’t care anymore." she looked up at dean leaning on the fence "You shot me I punched you." she said sounding tired "We even or you want to go another round, champ?"  
  
Dean shook his head and said "You got this all wrong."  
  
Buffy just nodded "Says the guy who shot me." she began to walk past him "Hard to believe how anyone would think you guys as bad at all."  
  
Dean walked over and helped Faith out of the pool, realizing he had nothing to say to that. Sam hauled himself out and chased after the retreating slayer "Buffy!’ he called out "Wait!"  
  
She slowed as he ran up on her; his clothes were sticking to him in a way that was a bit too distracting to her. She looked up at his face and forced herself not to look anywhere else "Look…I agree we didn’t handle this right. But there is a lot that’s going on you don’t know." he said trying to impart as much honesty in his voice that he could.  
  
"Like?" she said putting a hand on her hip.  
  
"Well for one when you jumped Faith we were trying to force the demon in that girl’s body out of her." he said. He was rewarded by seeing her face pale slightly. "Yeah the girl you let walk out the door? She was possessed." he said as the panic of wondering if Jessica was ok rose in his voice. Taking a deep breath he said "We both leapt without looking…can we try this again?" he said, his eyes wide.  
  
Jesus, even looking at his face was dangerous she thought as he hit her with a thousand watt puppy eyed stare. She felt herself take a deep breath and say "Ok fine. I can listen."  
  
He smiled and she mentally tried to look away "Great.’ he said sounding far more pleased than any one person should. He held out a huge paw of a hand "I’m Sam."  
She looked at him to see if he was joking, but his sincerity was just oozing out of him. She shook it "Buffy."  
  
His grin was infectious "Welcome to the team." he said.


	3. Part Two

Dean and Faith came around the corner in a rush. Seconds later police sirens could be heard in the distance. "Time to leave." Dean said moving past Sam and Buffy and into the room. Faith didn’t even glance at Buffy as she helped Dean grab their supplies and head for the car. Sam took a few bags from the slayer as they moved to the Impala as one.  
  
Dean and Sam dumped their bags in the trunk as Faith and Buffy silently glared at each other. Tucking under the trunk Dean said to Sam "Look I need you in the back seat with Buffy." Sam shot him a look that bordered on hurt and Dean rolled his eyes "You really want two super powered chicks who hate each other within arm’s reach?" Sam’s face fell as Dean offered "Unless you want to drive and me and Faith can take the back seat." Dean’s smirk forced Sam to sigh and roll his eyes. Anything was better than watching that in the rear view mirror.  
  
As Sam moved around the car to Faith’s side he jerked his head towards shotgun, making the slayer give him a questioning look. He just nodded and got in the back seat. Faith was perplexed, but gratified she didn’t have to sit the whole way with Buffy. She got into the front, flashing Dean a small smile of thanks. As soon as Buffy closed her door Dean backed out of the parking lot and took off across town. In the rear view mirror he could see cop cars turning into the motel.  
  
"We got maybe fifteen minutes on them." Dean said watching for any followers.  
  
"Running from the cops." Buffy said crossing her arms "Must feel like old times, Faith."  
  
Faith went to turn around but Dean’s voice stopped her cold. "Look bitch, you just walked into the middle of a demon exorcism and allowed an innocent victim to run free. Then you hauled off and started spouting garbage you knew was going to set her off and get the police. So unless you have anything positive to add right now shut the fuck up." he sighed as he watched the road "No time for Vampire Slayer Barbie and her witty comments."  
  
Buffy leaned back and crossed her arms. For the moment, she was outnumbered and outgunned at the moment. Sam said there was stuff she didn’t know; she could wait to hear it. But this was getting old. She was not used to being the odd one out. That was usually...Faith's gig.  
  
"Thirteen minutes, Sam" Dean said looking at him in the mirror "Where to?"

  
Sam closed his eyes and summoned up a mental map of the area "Head towards the freeway." he said "We can head South towards L.A. and stop at a diner or something." he looked back at Dean "It’s too small a town to try somewhere else."  
  
He saw his brother nod and began moving towards the interstate. Sam looked over at Buffy who was rubbing the side of her leg. Scooting over slightly, the younger Winchester asked her, "Does it hurt?" She looked at him with eyes that made him think she was a little frightened. She nodded slightly and he said in a low voice "You want something for it? We have some pain killers or Advil…"  
  
She watched him for a few seconds, again he couldn’t tell if she was judging him or wary of him. Odds are it was both. She just shook her head "I’ll be ok in a while."  
  
Sam nodded and moved back to his side. No one talked as they hurtled down the freeway. He sighed as he looked out his window…it was going to be a long ride.  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
"Uh-huh" Xander said into the phone as he scribbled something down "Ok" after a few seconds and more scribbling "Well yes…I suppose." he stopped writing and shifted the phone "If we do I promise." small pause "Thank you lieutenant." and he hung up.  
  
Walking back to the table Xander tried to get Giles' attention as he looked over a rather large tome with stuffed shirt number two…or three. Hard to tell in this light. Xander stared at the elder Watcher, trying to focus whatever mental powers he might possess to get his attention without alerting the others. His face was growing red from the effort, he was going to give himself an orgasm or an aneurysm, either one a step up from this nightmare.  
  
Now Buffy was missing and the police on the scene said witnesses had seen two women fighting in the pool before a man, or a small giant depending on who you asked separated them. So far they had found nothing and no one, Buffy supposedly left or was taken with Faith and her partners. Which meant things were getting even worse.  
  
"Do you have something to say Mr. Harris?" stuffed shirt number One asked from behind him. Xander almost gave up his bladder for a second as he stopped trying to 'Professor X' Giles and turned around "What? Me? No? I mean come on…" he said smiling "What was the question?"  
  
The man sighed as one did with an unruly child or a particularly dull pet "Do you have any information on the slayer?"  
  
Xander stopped himself from asking which one, knowing that the council did not recognize Faith as The Slayer or even A Slayer. She was always just Faith. If he recalled correctly one of the stuffed shirts had been on the team the council had sent to America to stop Faith and carried a grudge the size of New Jersey when it came to her on his shoulder. Instead he said "No. No information. None here. Informationless Xander. That’s what they call me." he said rocking on his heels.  
  
The man sighed and rolled his eyes in that British way making Xander doubly glad we had kicked their ass back in the Civil War. Or the other one. The war where the British got owned. That one. Seeing the other stuffed shirt walk away from Giles, Xander walked as quickly as he could over to him and said "I have some information."  
  
Giles closed the centuries old book and said "Yes, I gathered from your exchange with Reginald you might be withholding something." Xander looked at him in shock and Giles said "I cracked your clever code."  
  
Xander rolled his eyes now. Watchers. "Buffy isn’t at the motel and witnesses are saying there was a Thunderdome type fight in the pool before the cops showed up." Giles just stared at him "Tina Turner? Mad Max?" in a voice he said "Two men walk in…"  
  
Giles held up his hand "I am aware of the movie, Xander. What else?"  
  
Xander tried not to show his amazement that Mr. Watcher had seen a movie after 1966 but moved on in his head "They are saying Faith has two guys with her." he said very low "Most likely the hunters."  
  
Giles stopped in mid-step "They took Buffy?"  
  
"Or Buffy could have gone with them." Xander added trying his best at playing devil’s advocate.  
  
Giles stared at him with THAT stare and asked "How likely do you think it is that Buffy went with Faith and two unknown males willingly?"  
  
Xander just smiled pathetically "Um…it is within the realm of…not impossible?"  
  
Giles put the book away and began to walk over to Wesley.  
  
Yep. Definitely getting worse by the minute.  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
The four of them sat in the truck stop and waited for food to arrive.  
  
It was uncomfortable to say the least, Faith sitting across from Buffy glaring as Sam sat across from Dean with that look that meant ‘Say something!’  
  
After about five minutes Dean finally said "So, your leg going to be ok?"  
  
Buffy nodded but said nothing else, looking around the diner ignoring him.  
  
"I was trying for just a flesh wound." he said "I didn’t want any permanent damage or something."  
  
She stopped looking around and looked at him "You shot me." she said with steel in every single syllable.  
  
Faith's eyes narrowed as she wanted to remind Buffy she was a fucking Slayer and should get over it. After all, Dean had taken his punch to the face without all this hankie twisting bullshit. She held her tongue since Dean was trying to make some headway here.  
  
He met her gaze "Yeah, because you jumped down like you were Wonder Woman and screwed up an exorcism." His voice was just as stern.  
  
"I didn’t know." Buffy defended, not liking how Dean's eyes sliced into her.  
  
"Oh well then that makes it ok." he said raising his hands in exasperation "She didn’t know the situation and just stuck her big nose in without thinking. So that makes it ok."  
  
"I was sent here to collect her." Buffy said jabbing a finger at Faith, pretty much confirming Faith’s fears.  
  
"She had the situation under control." he countered before Faith could respond.  
  
"What are you her boyfriend or something?" Buffy barked "She can’t talk for herself?"  
  
Dean opened his mouth but Faith cut him off. Under the table, her hand rested to his leg, giving a faint squeeze. "I can talk just fine." she said never blinking from Buffy "So far you haven’t spoken to me."  
  
Buffy sighed and said "What the hell is going on, Faith?" she asked as condescendingly as possible "You were sent down here to investigate missing girls and you burn a motel down and kill a pizza delivery guy."  
  
"That wasn’t her." Dean said quickly.  
  
"I wanna hear it from her." Buffy demanded.  
  
Faith’s eyes widened in true disbelief. "Why? You won’t believe me. So why should I say anything? Guilty until proven innocent, right? You know all the answers, B. Why even bother acting like there's a missing piece?"  
  
Buffy smirked "Because I am dying to find out what excuse you have this time."  
  
"She was possessed, you fucking blond." Dean growled. Both Sam and Buffy looked at him "The thing that is inside the girl you let go was inside of Faith." he said jerking his thumb at Faith "And it almost killed her." he leaned forward towards her "So you wanna dial down the bitchness or is that even possible with you?"  
  
Buffy stopped, her face trying to control her shock. Faith possessed? Her natural instinct was to ask if she was ok, but by the time it reached her mouth it came out as "Wow, your body was taken over by someone else and they did horrible things with it? Did she screw anyone you were dating at the time?"  
  
Faith’s eyes were dead cold as she just stared across the table at Buffy. She had thought after Sunnydale and all that they had come to some kind of middle ground between them. The hatchet may not have been entirely buried, but Faith had at least thought it partially covered with dirt. But here Buffy was, bringing up the time they had switched bodies and she had ended up sleeping with Buffy’s boyfriend Riley. She thought of a scathing reply and then thought about how it would feel if Meg had fucked Dean in her body. If anyone fucked Dean beside herself. How would that feel?  
  
And she suddenly realized how horrible Buffy must think her.  
  
Faith had had no reference point before this. One guy was pretty much the other and Riley had thought her to be Buffy at the time anyways. Faith had always shrugged it off as just sex and Buffy being a prude…but now. The thought of Meg in her body cozying up to Dean…her hands clenched into fists and she looked at Buffy for a moment "I was a bitch and completely wrong to do that." she said causing Buffy’s eyes to widen "And I don’t blame you if you never forgive me. But I didn’t kill that guy they found and I didn’t burn down that motel." she looked to Dean "Let me out please. I’m not that hungry anymore." Dean moved aside and let her out as she walked out of the diner’s door. Dean looked at Sam and followed her out. Leaving Buffy and Sam alone at the table.  
  
Sam smiled the best he could "So you’re from around here aren’t you?’ he tried.  
  
She nodded slightly, not believing he was going for small talk "Yeah, just a couple of hours from here." she said "It’s a huge sinkhole now."  
  
He nodded "Ah yeah." he said tapping his fingers "I heard about that."  
  
She kept staring at him for a second "Are you going to tell me what’s been going on?"  
  
He looked at her and then sighed "I guess I have to." he said slipping out and sitting across from her "See my brother went to L.A. on a job…"  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
Faith almost broke the diner door as she pushed her way out and into the parking lot. It was one of those dust and gravel things just off of nowhere. She kicked the dirt as she walked towards the car. She watched the cars on the freeway whizz past; families settled in for a well deserved vacation at Disneyland and wondered for the millionth time in her life.  
  
What did she deserve?  
  
Dean came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her back. She resisted for half a second but she found she didn’t want to fight him. She didn’t want to pull away and be all strong and independent. When she was around him feeling like this, she wanted to just surrender and let go. As she leaned into him he wrapped his hands around her and she could smell the leather and gun oil surround her. He said in her ear "I hope you realize how serious this is." he said "I’m missing pie as we speak."  
  
She smiled despite herself "Well then it must be serious."  
  
His voice was low like a rumble "You have no idea."  
  
She liked this, the port in the storm for just a second. Her, him, that jacket…it was easy to pretend she was an island. Completely cut off from her past and not connected to the long line of chaos and violence that led to this point. And Dean, not seeming to care about anything she had done.. Just wanting her because. She sighed "I screwed her boyfriend once." she said finally.  
  
"Yeah, I gathered that." he said with no accusation in his voice at all "You guys switched bodies?" She nodded as he chuckled "If I was in Sam’s I swear I’d go and get that boy laid. Twice."  
  
She smiled as he took the impossible and made it a joke. "It wasn’t very nice."  
  
He sighed now "No, doesn’t sound like it." he said after a second "But then it sounds like you two enjoy kicking each other in the balls a lot also."  
  
She craned her neck back to look at him and he smirked "What I’m pretty sure you have bigger balls than me AND Sam put together."  
  
She turned back around and said "I hope not." she could feel his body react to the flirt.  
  
"Seriously though" he said "It sounds like all you two do is take turns trying to hurt each other." she had to admit that sounded like Buffy and her "So you did what you could do to hurt her. Sleeping with her boyfriend sounds bout right."  
  
"It wasn’t right." she said.  
  
"No" he had to agree "But it also isn’t the end of the world." he hugged her a bit tighter "You can’t keep running from her and the world, Faith. So you did things wrong, stop letting people use them against you." And even softer he said "You beat yourself up enough already. Stop letting other people do it as well."  
  
He was right. She hated to admit it, but he was right. She needed to stop letting Buffy use the past like a knife against her throat. There was more at stake here than their idiotic past. She stood up and turned around to hug Dean. She held on while being held, wanting that strength that radiated from him to surround her. "You’re kinda smart for being so cute." she said leaning in and resting her forehead against his.  
  
He smirked "Shhh…don’t tell anyone." he whispered "I’m supposed to be the stupid one."  
  
Her lips touched his "Show me how stupid you can be."  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
Buffy was quiet as Sam ate Dean’s pie.  
  
"Wow" she finally said "That’s a lot…a lot of stuff."  
  
Sam nodded as he gulped down as much as he could "They’ve been running ever since. When you showed up that demon had come out of nowhere."

"And I screwed it up." she said more to herself.  
  
"You didn’t know." he said with more compassion she had ever heard uttered from a guy before. She looked up at those huge soulful eyes and then away. While she looked away he gestured to the waitress to take the empty plate away "So we need to get back to L.A. and…"  
  
"I need to call England." she said cutting him off.  
  
He stopped and then nodded slowly "Yeah, ok…those are your bosses?"  
  
She took out a cell phone "I wouldn’t call them bosses." she said pushing the speed dial.  
  
"What would you call them?" he asked smiling.  
  
She just shrugged "Anything but my bosses." she said as Xander picked up the line and asked "Buff?"  
  
"Hey it’s the little Watcher who could." she said smiling into the phone "Are they wigging yet?"  
  
"So past wigging and straight into all fucked up alert." he said whispering into the phone.  
  
"Why are you whispering?" she asked.  
  
"Because they are trying to figure out who is going on the insertion team to recover you as we speak." he explained.  
  
"Crap" she said "Let me talk to Giles."  
  
"Can’t" Xander said even lower "He isn’t here, took off to talk to Agatha Christy."  
  
"Agatha Harkins" Buffy corrected referring to the Watcher’s council private coven of witches "Wesley?"  
  
"In full on leader mode." he hissed.  
  
"Let me talk to him then." she said.  
  
"OOkay." Xander said, obviously not liking that idea at all..  
  
There was some muffled talking and she was on a speakphone. "Buffy?" Wesley asked.  
  
She was still getting used to the grown up stubble wearing Wesley action figure. All she ever saw was the uptight, greener than green Watcher that fell in love with Cordellia and left for L.A. Wesley as leader of the Watcher’s council was still a bit funny to her "Hey Wes…how are you?"

There was a pause "How are you Buffy? Are you captive?"  
  
She snorted "Do I sound like I am captive?" nothing in return "Look this is a bit more complicated than we imagined, I am going to see if I can work with Faith and try and sort things out."  
  
"Faith is with you?" he asked carefully.  
  
"Yep, and she’s hip deep in demons. With a capital D and that rhymes with…um B and that stands for me I guess." she said wishing she was funnier.  
  
"What about the dead body and motel?" he asked.  
  
"Total mistake." Buffy said "Not her fault…demonic possession." she said.  
  
"I can send some people out there…" he started to say.  
  
"No need." she cut him off "So far the bad guys have had the jump on us. Time to turn some tables." she said.  
  
Another burst of silence and Wesley said "Are you sure you don’t want any assistance Buffy?"  
  
She made a face at Sam as she said slowly into the phone "No Wesley.. I am fine." she covered the phone "Jeez"  
  
"Very well" he said "If you insist."  
  
She said back into the phone "This is me all insisty."  
  
"Good luck" Wesley said before she hung up.  
  
She held the phone for a second as she looked up "Now that was a weird conversation." she said more out loud "Why do I get the idea I forgot to tell him something?"  
  
Dean and Faith came in, Faith sitting next to Buffy as she scooted over. There was a kind of truce in place as the two Slayers relaxed next to each other. It reminded Faith of the few times they had gotten along, and how it had felt to have a friend. She let her shoulder graze Buffy's and saw a tiny smile from the blond. It was some progress.  
  
Dean looked down and then to Sam "Where’s my pie?"  
  
Sam looked innocent and shrugged "She forgot it?"  
  
Dean narrowed his eyes "Breathe on me."  
  
"What?" Sam said pulling back "No!"  
  
"Breathe on me and prove you don’t have pie breath." Dean said leaning closer.  
  
"No way, Dean." Sam said covering his mouth.  
  
Dean kept staring at him for several seconds, knowing he had something to do with this missing pie.  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
Wesley closed the line and stood there.  
  
"Have you heard enough?" stuffed shirt number two asked.  
  
"I’m afraid so." Wesley said with a heavy sigh "Assemble your team, I will give the go order."  
  
He nodded and walked out sharply. Xander gaped at him open mouthed "What? But she said she was fine!"  
  
Wesley looked up "There are code words, Xander, phrases that are to be said to acknowledge you aren’t being held against your will." he explained slowly "She didn’t give one of them."  
  
Xander sputtered "But she said she was ok."  
  
"And Faith could have been there forcing her to say that." he countered.  
  
Xander’s head was spinning "But she sounded fine."  
  
Wesley looked up "She didn’t say the code words."  
  
Xander exploded "This is Buffy we’re talking about! If it isn’t The Devil Wears Prada she doesn’t remember anything!" he moved over to Wesley "You can’t just send a bunch of Watchers in to attack!"  
  
"They will assess the situation and report back to me." Wesley said icily "And in the meantime, Xander, you are hereby ordered not to contact Buffy or Faith again." his voice was stern "This is now an official Watcher investigation and all communication is considered forbidden."  
  
Xander looked at him in shock, no words came out of his mouth as Wesley took Xander’s cell phone away from him. Leaving the youngest Watcher in complete and utter shock.  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
Faith watched the back and forth of the waitress. See, Lizzy, the waitress? Might not have caught anyone else's attention- but Lizzy was salivating over Dean and yeah, Faith noticed. She noticed how the waitress simpered when Dean called her over and how she tittered like he was saying something dirty asking for more pie. Of course, the way Dean said 'pie' you almost wanted to be pie yourself- but that was not for Lizzy to say. Faith narrowed her eyes on the waitress as the new piece of pie was brought over. In her mind, Faith was ready to tell the waitress that if she kept eye fucking her boyfriend then Faith would use her steak knife to skull-fuck her. She considered it and recalled Dean saying 'low profile'. Miracles could happen. Faith managed not to threaten the woman's life, just watching her like a cat would an unknowing mouse until Buffy's voice tugged her from her dark thoughts.  
  
"I called the Council and told them we’re ok for now." Buffy said to Faith, who was picking at some cold fries like she didn't remember how to eat them.  
  
Faith looked over in shock. Buffy had totally thrown her for a loop. "You vouched for me?"  
  
Buffy shrugged "For now."  
  
Faith was beyond stunned. Buffy looked at Dean "So, what now?"  
  
Dean took a bite of his newly delivered piece of pie "We need to get back to L.A. and find Jessica." He saw the quiet anguish in his brother’s eyes but pushed on "Find her, find the girls I bet.."  
  
Buffy half nodded "How do we do that then?"  
  
Dean looked at Sam "Bobby?"  
  
Sam nodded "Bobby."  
  
Dean looked at her "We call in Bobby."  
  
Leaving Faith and Buffy to wonder, who the hell was Bobby?


	4. Part Three

The girl sat in the chair and shook.  
  
Her face was red as her eyes bugged out like water balloons being overfilled. The veins on the side of her head were becoming prominent as the color from her skin was lost. She bit through her bottom lip as a scream escaped from the depths of her soul. Her hair faded to white as there two twin wet explosions and blood was shot everywhere.  
  
Her corpse collapsed into the chair, her bound limbs twitching lightly. The lights came up to full as Azazel looked through the blood stained window. "Annoying." he said not looking behind him.  
  
The creature in Lindsey’s body wiped some lint off his collar "That’s 0 for 3 father." he said as if discussing a sport score "We only have two left." There was silence in the room and he looked up to see two yellow orbs looking down at him. He swallowed slightly as he grinned "Sir?"  
  
"This is getting us nowhere." the elder demon growled watching the men clean the girl’s corpse up "Obviously a potential cannot hold the conduit." he mused "We need another plan.."  
  
The door opened up and Jessica’s body walked in, her eyes flashing black as she grinned "Well then lucky for you I am not only bringing you one but two slayers for your extra dimensional needs." she sneered back at her brother as she gestured over the borrowed body "You like it? Just a little something I threw on." she said and looked back at her father "A little something that Sam Winchester is going to come chasing."  
  
She had never seen real fear on her father’s face before but as he vaulted towards her, lifting her several feet off the ground with a single hand, she could see it in his eyes now. "You lured Sam Winchester here? Now?" he said throwing her through the shatterproof glass like it was paper. "You whore!" he screamed "He could ruin everything!"  
  
She laid on the ground feeling the various cuts all over body begin to bleed. Wiping her mouth she glared at him "I have two active slayers in route as well." she spit out blood "So you’re welcome."  
  
Azazel looked back at Lindsey "Get your people ready. They are going to be waging a war unlike none you have ever seen."  
  
"Against two girls?" he asked incredulously.  
  
Azazel’s eyes narrowed "Against two angry slayers…working together."  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
Sam talked on the phone while Dean drove. Bringing Bobby up to speed on things had taken a lot of time, especially with Dean's asides that he insisted Sam repeat verbatim. "So that’s where we are, Bobby, any ideas?"  
  
Sam could hear the frustration and concern in the older hunter’s voice as he paged through books "Well, doesn’t make a lot of sense." he said cautiously, Sam could tell he was talking and reading "From what the lore says Slayers are just super humans. Nothing more, nothing less. Anything they can do a demon riding a human suit can do…so it doesn’t add up."  
  
Sam let Bobby continue paging through the books as he covered the phone and asked Faith "Anything else you gleaned from Meg?" he asked, grabbing at any straws.  
  
Faith closed her eyes and tried to concentrate, Meg’s memories were like a film being recorded at a different speed being played back on a shitty TV. Snippets of thoughts and conversations chased each other around in her head as she tried to catch anything. When she focused hard on Meg's shared psyche, it chilled her in ways she could not explain. That alien intelligence had filled her up and drug her under. Going back to that feeling made her distinctly uncomfortable, but Faith was not one to duck out when something needed done. She made herself concentrate, combing through the garbled remnants of Meg left in her head. Finally, she stopped as an image flashed in her mind. "The White Room" she said her eyes flying open.  
  
"What did she say?" Bobby asked on the other line.  
  
Sam didn’t like the way Faith looked as he mumbled "White room" into the phone. Sam heard Bobby flipping through another book furiously, whatever she just said it had hit on something. "Talk to me Bobby." Sam said.  
  
"Well" Bobby said pausing "There was a legend…"  
  
"Always is." Sam muttered.  
  
"About a beast that rolled through L.A. a couple of years ago. Was killing a family of totems of some kind of mystic crap." he was flipping faster now.  
  
"Um" Sam said "Ok…how does that connect with a white room?"  
  
He could hear Bobby’s ire "Well, if you give me a second I might be able to explain." Sam closed his mouth as Bobby went on "According to the hunters on the scene, he was trying to block out the sun…made Southern California real monster friendly for awhile."  
  
Sam nodded as he resisted the urge to ask Bobby where he was going with this and instead said "Yeah, I remember dad saying something about that."  
  
"The Beast attacked a law firm." Bobby said pausing "Supposedly tore up the place to get, and this is hard to believe for even me, a little girl that lived in a white room at the top of the building." Sam suddenly felt his mouth go dry "No one ever got a straight answer about it, but all the mystics at the time said that the power that the law firm had over the city was momentarily weakened, and that a great power had to be brought in to resolve it."  
  
"I don’t understand." Sam confessed.  
  
"Hell, don’t look at me." Bobby said "Evil law firms are out of my pay grade, but it sounds like this white room contained something major. Something major that they had to replace in a bad sort of way."

Sam covered the phone "I thought you said Wolfram and Hart weren’t in L.A. anymore." he asked Faith.  
  
She shook her head "They aren’t. Angel found a way to kick them out for good." she said. She looked tired; she was leaning back in the front seat with her eyes closed again. A disquieting thought had wormed into her mind. What if Meg could 'feel' Faith thinking about her? It made a lump of ice form in the dark Slayer's stomach to think about. She had this pall of dread hovering over her, thinking if it wasn't a premonition it was still one hard fuck of a downer. Something bad was going to happen. Of course it was. "As far as I know, Angel did his thing and they were gone.."  
  
"How?" Sam asked.  
  
She shrugged "No idea. He just said there wasn’t a way for the senior partners to gain access to our realm anymore."  
  
That made even less sense to Sam "I’m not sure Bobby." he started to say "I think we might be chasing…"  
  
"The conduit." Buffy said in a shocked voice.  
  
Both Sam and Faith turned to look at her as she explained "Angel explained it to me. The senior partners need a conduit to access our world. L..A. was this world’s connection for them…Angel killed it."  
  
Faith looked at her puzzled. She knew after whatever went down in L.A. happened, Angel had gone to Europe and stayed with Buffy and the slayers for awhile. Whatever had transpired was too much for him, had cost him too many lives. Angel's conscience had browbeat him mercilessly. Always had and would. He wasn't soulless, even when it might have worked in his favor. He had taken off shortly after and hadn’t been heard from since. But it sounded like he had told Buffy some of what had gone down…and didn’t share it with Faith. She tried to be okay with that. Angel and Buffy were a thing. Had been, might always be. Faith turned her eyes to the other Slayer, repeating softly. "A conduit?"  
  
Buffy looked up at her "A living, physical link for the senior partners to flow through." she said "He had said Gunn had called it a giant black cat, before that it was a little girl."  
  
"Not a little girl." Bobby said on the phone "A mystical being of great power." he was reading now "A member of a magical family that had given it’s allegiance to Wolfram and Hart as its conduit."  
  
"A magical being." Sam said.  
  
"Like a Slayer." Dean finished for him "They aren’t fishing for Slayers just because; they are looking for a host."  
  
"Oh crap." Bobby said over the phone.  
  
Sam couldn’t agree more "If they can put the conduit into a Slayer…" he said.  
  
"Then the senior partners would gain access to L.A. Making a hellmouth out of a person. The Slayer would not just be the door, they'd be the whole house for what wanted to come in." Buffy finished.  
  
"Yeah yeah…human sacrifice, dogs sleeping with cats, mass hysteria. We get it." Dean said still driving "Now what?"  
  
They were all silent for a second and Faith said "Find the girls."  
  
Buffy echoed "Find the girls."  
  
Sam said into the phone "Ok Bobby, we need to find the girls."  
  
"That" he said hesitantly "Might be a problem…"  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
  
Xander slipped out of the room as quietly as he could.  
  
Wesley had been conferring with the stuffed shirt squad almost nonstop now. They had assembled a pretty impressive force of former military and cops that were decked out in some serious action movie weaponry. When Xander looked at the big heavy guns, he imagined who they were meant for- and it seriously killed his happy at seeing the weapons. He would have admired the hand canons more if they were not going to be aimed at Faith. These guys weren’t screwing around and that meant trouble. With a capital T and that rhymed with…B and that…damnit Buffy said that already. As he made his way out into the great hall he could see Giles walking towards him. He briefly considered sneaking back into the room but it was too late.. He had been spotted.  
  
"Xander" he called out "A moment please."  
  
"Damnit" Xander said to himself turning slowly to face him.  
  
"Everything ok?" he asked pausing.  
  
"Yeah sure, never better." Xander rattled off "Why do you ask?"  
  
Giles paused for a moment "Because you stopped and said 'damnit' before you turned around to face me."  
  
"Damnit" Xander muttered again.  
  
"Like that." Giles said dryly.  
  
"Damn" Xander said even softer.  
  
"Ahem" Giles said clearing his throat "You do understand I can hear you?"

Xander stood there with his mouth closed, but thought damn real loud.

After a second Giles asked "How is the situation in there?"  
  
Xander tried not to bark at him as he said "They are gearing up to take down Faith like a rabid dog." he said "How bad do you rate that?"  
  
Giles raised one eyebrow "About as bad as I thought." he said distantly as if talking to himself "Very well, I need you to call Buffy." he said.  
  
"Can’t" Xander said darkly "Captain Everyone-Look-at-me-I’m-in-Control took it from me and said not to call her."  
  
"Hmmmm" Giles said rubbing his chin. After a second he said "In that case I need you to get this fixed." he said handing the younger man his cell phone.  
  
Xander nodded and took a look at the phone. After a second he said "Um…it looks like it's working."  
  
"Are you sure?" Giles asked.  
  
Xander looked again "Open phone, light comes on, buttons work…that about covers my knowledge of cell phones." he said.  
  
"Are you sure though?" Giles said leaning in slightly.  
  
Xander just stared "Um…yeah. I just said…"  
  
"How can you be sure without trying it?" The Watcher said staring a bit too long in Xander’s eye.  
  
Xander flipped the phone open again "Well, cause see these lights come on when it has power and if I click…"  
  
Giles sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose slightly "Xander. Take the phone and go."  
  
Xander opened his mouth and then closed it as the light bulb came on in his head. "Oh….OH!" he said pointing at Giles "Yeah, it’s busted and I need to go…do test like things to it."  
  
"Very good" Giles said sighing wearily.  
  
"Could take awhile to get it…um…you know all fixed." Xander said inching away.  
  
"Take your time." Giles assured him.  
  
"Cause I don’t know how long it could take to…"  
  
"Xander!" Giles snapped "Go!"  
  
Xander spun and took off down the hall. Giles shook his head and walked into the room, looking for any point in the operation he could throw a monkey wrench into. When he saw stuffed shirt number one looking over at number two looking angrily at the man as Wesley described the operation, he knew he had his wrench.  
  
Giles went over and sat down next to him "They look chummy." he said under his breath.  
  
"Tell me about it." the man cursed never taking his eyes off of them.  
  
"You know" Giles offered "You technically have seniority over him from the old council." Giles looked away as if examining the ceiling "And the rules were always the most experienced officer led an insertion mission."  
  
Number two looked at Giles and then back to number one "Are you sure?"

Giles looked back at him as if just noticing him "What? Oh yes." he said nodding "I mean we’d have to check the archive records in the basement, but I am sure he joined after you."  
  
Two looked over again and his eyes narrowed. He stood up raising a hand "See here now Wesley" he called out "A word about all this…"  
Giles sat back and smiled…hopefully he just bought them enough time..  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
They pulled into L.A. as night was falling.  
  
Dean found them a decent hovel of a motel to shack up in, two rooms connected with four beds total. They unpacked the Impala and spread a map of L.A. over one of the beds. Dean pulled out some pins as he began talking "These are joints owned by Lindsey." he said placing five pins in the map "All of them a magnet for new, young people coming into town…like potentials." he said.  
  
Faith grabbed three pins "He also has underground clubs here, here and an afterhours club here." she said "The last one is actually a demon fight club thing, lots of high paying clients." Dean looked up impressed and she smiled back "What? I had to do something before I met you."  
  
Buffy rolled her eyes "And this is where the Wolfram and Hart building used to be." she said pointing at a city block.  
  
"Look at that." Sam said whistling.  
  
Buffy and Dean looked up at him as Faith stared at the map "Sonofabitch." she said sounding impressed.  
  
"What?" he asked looking at the map and then back to them.  
  
"Yeah, double what." Buffy asked not seeing what they were going on about "Is this like the sailboat in the picture thing. Cause I suck at…"  
  
"Look at the radius." Sam said pointing at the pins. They all circled around Buffy’s finger "They are all an equal direction away from where the building used to be."  
  
Dean and Buffy both nodded and said "Oh" and "I saw that." unconvincingly.  
  
"What’s that mean?" Faith asked Sam.  
  
He shrugged "No idea. But when I see a pattern like that, makes me want to look at what’s in the center."  
  
Dean smirked "Like a tootsie roll pop." they both looked at him as Buffy smiled "Yeah…like how many licks…" Dean nodded as both Faith and Sam looked at them shaking their heads..  
  
"What?" Dean asked as Buffy stopped smiling.  
  
"I can take my hand off the map now right?" she asked.  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
The remains of the Wolfram and Hart building stuck up in the middle of L.A. like the broken edge of a skeletal finger. The four of them got out of the car slowly, every one of them feeling a chill to their bones. They all stood in the burnt out courtyard that once heralded the entrance to the greatest establishment of evil this side of hell and stared.  
  
"Looks like a burnt out building." Dean said after a second.. Whistling past a graveyard, Dean could sound composed in just about any setting he landed in.  
  
Sam gave him a glance but Buffy and Faith kept looking up as if staring into the abyss. Something deep inside of them tugged, they could feel it, the evil that still lingered here. It called to them like a dark melody from far away, a siren’s call telling them to fight, to kill, to slay. But there was nothing to hit. They both stood there shaking slightly, their nails digging into their own palms as they waited.  
  
Dean shot a stare towards the Slayers then to Sam and shrugged. Sam shook his head as they both approached them. Dean began to reach out to Faith "Um…Faith…" he started to say, his hands inches from her arm.

And then the shadows came alive.  
  
Faith and Buffy spun as one towards the creatures. Faith kicked out Dean’s legs from under him, sending him sprawling to the ground as the first group of shadows reached over him towards her. Using her knife, Faith sliced at the moving blackness, the weapon passing harmlessly through it as her hand went numb. The sound of the knife hitting the concrete was almost deafening as she found herself unable to hold the weapon any longer. It was like breathing soup, if the soup was freezing sludge. The sensation could make you think you were moving slower than you actually were, throwing off your momentum, giving vertigo and disorientation. She felt distorted and closed her eyes a moment to regain her composure. But she never stopped swinging and moving, fighting blind or not- she was not still.  
  
Buffy grabbed the back of Sam’s jacket and pulled him hard, he didn’t even have time to yelp as she pulled him off his feet and down to the ground as a patch of animated blackness sailed through where his head had been. She mummered something under her breath, which sounded a lot like Latin to Sam, as she swung her arm long ways as if she wielding a weapon. There was a flash of light as she was suddenly wielding one of the oddest looking axes he had ever seen in her hand. It’s handle was chrome red and its end came to a point, that looked like a stake. The blade itself looked wicked sharp as she sliced through the shadow and an inhuman scream echoed through their minds before it vanished from sight.  
  
There was a slight stab of pain in Buffy’s mind as Faith’s knife fell to the ground. Without conscious though Buffy spun around and lunged backwards with the axe as Faith was moving downwards into a back roll, away from the creature attacking her. The end of the ax speared the center of the shadow thing and another psychic scream echoed through their minds.

Dean looked over at Sam who was also lying on his back, eyes wide in amazement as the two Slayers moved as if with one mind against the shadows.  
They went back to back without a word being said between them and every time one of the things came at them they moved as one and Buffy’s axe dissipated it effortlessly.  
  
Sam looked over at Dean for a moment and then called out "Dean, behind you!"  
  
Dean looked behind him and the shadows that had made up the rubble behind him were moving towards him like a huge blanket of blackness. It arced over him like a wave as he curled back into a ball, making the smallest target possible. At the last second it loomed over him he looked up and called out "Christo!" at the top of his lungs.  
  
The sheet of shadows vibrated for a moment and the exploded into smaller shards of inky blackness and then to nothing. Dean looked over to Sam with wide eyes and then smiled. Sam nodded, smiling himself as he got to his feet. "Sed et si ambulavero in valle mortis non timebo malum. Quoniam tu mecem us virga tua et baculus." By the second line the shadows stopped in their tracks "Tuus ipsa consolabuntur me." Both Faith and Buffy looked at him in shock as Sam kept walking towards the shadows as they retreated. He began at the beginning as he got closer.  
  
Faith looked over at Dean, who had an obviously proud smile on his face. He noticed her questioning look and said "Psalm 23:4 in Latin." he said. She shook her head not understanding "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil…" he explained "He was a way with dead languages."  
  
Both Slayers were impressed as Sam pushed the shadow things back towards where the building’s lobby would have been. The abominations retreated inside, feeling the word of God coming from Sam’s mouth. He turned around smiling "Not bad for off the top of my head huh?" he said smiling.

Buffy screamed "Sam, get down!"  
  
Sam’s face fell when a burst of blood and flesh exploded from his shoulder as a bullet passed through him instantly. He looked down at his wound as the blood soaked his shirt "Dean?" he called out and then fell to the ground. Directly behind him was Lindsey and two demons. The former lawyer held a gleaming Desert Eagle in his hand like it was a pop gun.  
  
In a mocking child’s voice he said "Sam fall down and go boom."  
  
Sam’s name echoed throughout the ruins in Dean’s voice as the enraged hunter ran towards Lindsey, his hand pulling out his own pistol opening fire. As the nine shots bore into the demon Lindsey kept talking "Or was it Sam go boom and fall down?" he shrugged "Oh well, semantics." as he aimed at Dean and fired again.  
  
Dean felt the impact in his own shoulder as he was spun like a top in a circle. He stumbled and fell as the gun skidded from his grasp. The demon’s smile was short lived as he looked up "Hey, I’m batting a thous-…" and Buffy’s ax cut off his head.  
  
There was an explosion of demonic smoke as it retreated further into the shadows, the other two demons moving to intercept Buffy. Faith ran to Dean’s side the entire time screaming in her head "nononononono" He was breathing but raggedly as she pulled open his shirt. The wound was bad, he was losing way too much blood. His head lolled over to her, both eyes half open "Sam…" he said distantly.  
  
"You’re hurt too, Dean." she said ripping her shirt to cover his wound.  
  
She reached down to press it to the blood and his had grabbed her wrist "Sammy...have to help…" he struggled to say.  
  
She knew she could push his hand away like it was nothing. But he sat there, struggling for consciousness, begging for her to help his brother first.  
  
Sighing she moved over to Sam as she saw Buffy begin to fight the two demons. These guys weren’t as stupid as Lindsey. They were staying well away from the ax’s reach. Faith pulled Sam’s over shirt off of him as she ripped his t shirt off to examine the wound. His was even worse. Using the plaid shirt she began ripping shreds off and cutting off the flow of blood best she could. "Do not die on me, Winchester." She wasn’t sure which one she was talking to.  
  
Faith saw Buffy feint under one of the demons and move to cut the other directly in half. The slayer never saw the tazer the one behind her drew. Screaming Buffy’s body jerked twice as she spun around staggering as the other demon pulled his out and hit her again. The axe made a distinctive sound as it clanged on the concrete floor.  
  
Faith was torn, she needed to stop Sam’s bleeding now or he was dead. But she couldn’t let them take Buffy either…  
  
The demons scooped Buffy up like she weighted nothing to them, one reached down and started to grab the axe. Faith knew that the axe, the weapon of the Slayer, could not go with the demons while she lived and breathed. Buffy would do the same. It was theirs. It could not be lost. Still, she was torn.. She wanted to tend Sam and Dean, drag them to safety. She felt control slipping like sand through her fingers.  
  
Faith began to rise, hoping Dean would forgive her someday as a glow came from behind her. A light that cut the darkness. The demons stopped, both of them raising a hand to shield themselves from the glare. Faith turned also, her mind already reeling from one too many shocks today, she saw the luminous ripples in the courtyard grow from a light bulb size to larger than a manhole cover within seconds. One of the demons touched his ear and began calling out "Now, evac now!!"  
  
The light got brighter as the shadows leapt out from the building and covered the demons and Buffy instantly. Faith screamed a ragged NO as the shadows retreated, leaving nothing behind.  
  
The light flashed and then faded as Faith dropped to her knees, applying pressure to Sam’s wound again. He was not out yet, and she knew how bad bullet wounds hurt. She rested the back of her hand to his brow comfortingly for a moment before she whispered. "Calvary's here, Dean's going to be okay..." She knelt there as a shadow moved over her, just standing there. Without looking up Faith said "Nice entrance Willow, but you’re too late…they already have her."  
  
Willow looked over to where the axe lay and then back to Faith "Then they won’t have her for long." she said, her eyes flashing with power.


	5. Part Four

"He’s going into shock!" Faith called out keeping pressure on the wound. Willow seemed not to even notice the Slayer's distress; instead she looked around like a dog catching a scent.  
  
"Something’s here…" she muttered, the fingers on each of her hands twitching like sea anemones.  
  
"Willow!" Faith barked, "Snap out of it! Heal them!" They're human, Faith silently added. Fragile, despite their muscular bodies and all their training. They could be broken.  
  
Whatever distraction the witch was suffering from faded as she looked down and saw the two hunters bleeding on the concrete. She rushed over towards Faith but the Slayer jerked her head towards Dean "Heal him first." Dean was the first wounded. In triage, that made him first to get medical attention or...witchy attention.  
  
Willow did as she said but Faith felt like crap. Dean was not able to say a word about it, but she knew what he would have said. Dean would want Sam tended to first, regardless of how seriously he was hurt himself. She murmured under her breath "C’mon Sam…stay with me." She saw Willow begin to chant over Dean as she laid hands on his wound. Faith blinked as a white aura came over the two of them and she could swear the witch’s hair became three shades lighter for a second. Dean suddenly gasped out loud, his eyes flying open as he looked around in confusion.  
  
His voice was ragged but strong as he asked "Sammy?"  
  
Willow moved over to his brother as Faith moved aside. "Heal him please." Faith said but she wasn’t sure that Willow heard or not. Dean tried to sit up as he groaned out loud.  
  
"Keep him still." Willow said placing her hands over Sam’s form "He’ll be fine if he doesn’t tear his magic stitches." Faith was about to ask how exactly magical sutures worked but she refrained as she moved over and laid a hand on Dean’s chest.  
  
He looked up in the closest thing to panic she had ever seen on his face "Sammy?" he asked "Where’s Sammy?’ he called out.  
  
Faith couldn’t tell if he was delirious or just flustered but in a calm voice she said "Shhh…she’s taking care of him. You have to remain still." she said keeping him down. He was not able to struggle much, making her worry all the more.  
  
He closed his eyes and seemed to drift off as he said "Have to keep Sammy safe…" and then nothing. Even unconscious he strived to protect his brother. Faith wasn’t sure if she could feel more for the man but every time he opened his mouth, she realized she could. She gently ran her fingers through his hair, soothing him the best she could while her eyes were glued to Willow and Sam.  
  
Willow began to chant again as she placed her hands on Sam’s chest. "I call upon the Mother and the Light to keep this soul and fill it with your healing…" The light began to flare again but unlike with Dean…her hair went pitch black.  
  
Both Willow and Sam screamed as one as she went flying back from him. She flew through the air, colliding with one of the courtyard pillars with a solid smack. Faith ran over to her as Sam lay on the ground moaning. Willow was slumped against the concrete unconscious. "Willow!" Faith called out carefully pulling the mystic out of the stone pillar. "Willow, can you hear me?"  
  
Her eyes flew open and Faith jumped back as she saw the glowing yellow eyes looking at her. "Blood of my blood. I shall have my revenge!" she called out, one hand extending towards Faith.  
  
"Crap" Faith said as she tossed a quick fist into her face. Willow’s head popped back as she fell back into oblivion. She looked at Willow, her hair still black and then to Sam as she asked no one "What the hell are you?"  
  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
It took Faith three minutes to search Dean’s pockets for the keys to the Impala and another five minutes for her to strap everyone into the car. As she drove back to the motel she kept watching Willow and Sam in the back seat, neither one looked all that hot. She knew what was wrong with Sam..By the amount of blood that was evident on the concrete, he had lost too much blood. Willow’s spell had fixed the wound, but hadn’t replaced the blood. As she looked over to Dean she saw that wasn’t the case with him. Dean’s color was fine though he looked passed out.. So whatever happened, Willow could not replenish Sam’s lost blood, just heal the wound. Which meant that he was dying slowly but surely from a lack of blood.  
  
Willow on the other hand had her scared.  
  
She had heard about the witch's flirtation with the dark side a few years back. Willow had almost destroyed the world (and honestly by this point, who hadn’t?) only to be talked down from the ledge by Xander. Since then she had gone to great lengths to work only the side of angels. She had trained with Agatha Harkins, the council’s head sorceress, in the white arts. Faith had never seen her unable to at least get a grasp on the problem much less never seen her knocked out like that. The black hair though was the worst part. Faith could see the light traces of veins around her face which meant she had absorbed a goodly portion of black power from somewhere. The yellow eyes…that was new.  
  
As she pulled into the parking lot she knew she wasn’t going to have a lot of time with Sam. He needed blood and fast, but she wasn’t sure if a hospital was the way to go. How could she explain that he was dying from a wound that was healed? Or that he might make something creepy happen if proked and prodded the wrong way? Since she had no clue what Sam was- she sure as hell couldn't take him into the E.R. and wing it. Dragging all of Sam from the car, she finally got him into a fireman's carry and managed the door after banging his knees once. As she got him into the room and placed on the bed she had made up her mind. She was going to need Dean for this.  
  
She helped Dean into the room sitting him in a chair near the window "Dean" she said lightly slapping his face "Dean, I need you to wake up."  
  
He moaned slightly as his head lolled to one side. She tried again but no response. She decided to try something a bit more drastic. "Dean, Sam’s in trouble."  
  
Dean’s eyes flew open as he tried to focus on her for a second "Sammy?"  
  
She held his head still, forcing him to meet her gaze "Dean, listen to me. Sam’s in trouble, he’s lost a lot of blood. Are you guys the same blood type?"  
  
He tried to shake his head as he slurred a tired "No…he’s AB I’m…" and he trailed off again.  
  
Damnit.  
  
She laid him back in the chair and checked his jacket for his phone. From memory she dialed Xander’s phone with no answer. She stood there stunned, she didn’t’ know Giles’ number by heart and she was running out of time. She looked down and saw the call log, the number before it was Bobby’s. Shrugging she hit redial.  
  
"Dean?" a concerned voice came over the line.  
  
"Um no." she said "Is this Bobby?"  
  
A pause and then a gruff "Who the hell is this? How did you get this phone?"  
  
Something in Faith snapped "I grabbed it from the guy passed out in front of me and his brother is dying and if that happens he is never going to forgive me. So you can be pissed later old man but I need someone to answer some damn questions now!"  
  
Another pause and then she heard "You must be Faith." she could hear the wryness in his tone "What’s wrong?"  
  
She took a deep breath "Dean and Sam have both been shot. Dean is ok but out of it, Sam’s lost a lot of blood. Dean says they aren’t compatible…"  
  
"They aren’t." he said off the top of his head "Dean’s O positive while Sam’s AB negative."  
  
She didn’t even have the brain power to ask how he knew that off the top of his head "I need to know if I give Sam a transfusion…will it hurt him?"  
  
"Are you AB negative?" he asked.  
  
"I am." she said carefully "But that isn’t where my question comes from."  
  
He seemed a bit frustrated himself "Well if you are the same type why would it matter if you…" and then it seemed to hit him "… a Slayer."  
  
She nodded as she said "Right. Is that ok?"  
  
She could hear the shrug in his answer. "I’ve never read anything about it. I can’t imagine…" another pause "I don’t know."  
  
"I know that Slayer blood is used in certain potions…" She started, remembering the antidote for what she used to almost kill Angel had called for Slayer blood…  
  
He sounded resigned as he said "If you can get him to a hospital…"  
  
"No time." she said seeing the pallor in Sam’s face "I wasted too much time already." she walked over and began unpacking the medical kit Sam had brought in "I would have taken him there straight off, just grabbed a donor- but... complications..came up.." she said mentally kicking herself.  
  
"You did what you thought was right." he said with real emotion in his voice "I can see here where there are certain types of potions that call for Slayer blood." he said flipping pages "All of them are curative…so that’s good."  
  
She began to set up the line of tubing with the two needles on each end. She didn’t want to know what kind of life these guys led that their standard med kit included transfusion components. She taped off his arm and began searching for a vein. "Ok I found a good one." she said more to herself than to Bobby.  
  
"Make sure you have it clamped off before you stick yourself." he offered "Or you’re gonna have a mess."  
  
She nodded as if he was in the room as she closed the tubing off from both sides. "Hold on Bobby." she said putting the phone down. She grabbed the other piece of rubber and tied it around her forearm as tight as she could. Her veins became visible almost instantly. She held her breath as she stuck in into her skin solidly. Taping her end down she picked up the cell "Ok we’re in." she said hesitantly "I just turn the knob and open the valve?"  
  
Bobby’s voice got serious "Yeah but, Faith, when you do that you’re gonna start losing a lot of blood. Someone is there to turn it off right?"  
  
She looked around the room and saw Dean still passed out. She sighed softly and closed the phone as she heard "Faith? Faith are you there? You can bleed out…" it clicked shut. You either mean it, or you don't. She meant it.  
  
She looked down and turned the valve and felt a wave of dizziness pass over her. Her life was not flashing before her eyes. It was more like watching a really wavy movie that you were sure was important, if you could just pay attention. She sat on the edge of the bed but it moved as she fell on her butt. She began to giggle slightly as the loss of blood started to take hold. As the room spun she smiled as she knew…at least she saved Sam.  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
Willow woke in the backseat slowly.  
  
She didn’t recognize the car or the motel. She looked around in confusion for a second and then the memory of the night flooded back to her. Buffy, Faith, demons…  
  
She tried to get out of the car but the door was locked. With a gesture it flew off its hinges and skidded across the parking lot in a cascade of sparks. She looked down at her hand in disbelief. Looking up at the mirror she saw her hair and touched it lightly, her eyes were almost lost in illuminessence with a dull yellow glow. Her mind was ablaze with energies not of this world. She shook her head as she stood up and leaned against the car. She concentrated on the door and gestured again. It reversed itself, skidding again towards the car before sealing itself back in its original place. She felt drained; creating was costing more than destroying. That wasn’t good.  
  
Something in her veins was burning, burning like fire. She stumbled a few more steps when she stumbled to the ground. When she looked up she saw a pair of legs standing in front of her. Looking up she saw the glowing yellow eyes of the man smiling down at her "Are you ok, young lady?" he asked in a concerned voice "Could it be something you ate?" he said gesturing slightly with his hand…she felt the burn increase. "Power Willow" he whispered taking a step towards her "That’s what you feel…power."  
  
She felt the burn again and her hand reached out to him of its own accord. She felt her soul begin to sink slowly inside of her "Power…" she mumbled "It’s about power."  
  
He nodded taking her hand "Now you have it."  
  
The next instant the parking lot was empty.  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
When Dean came to it was silent.  
  
He wasn’t sure where he was or how he had gotten there but his head felt like someone had sat on it. Someone huge. He sat up slightly and realized he was in a motel room, he didn’t recognize it but that odd, they all looked alike to him. He saw Sam on the bed and wondered why did sasquatch rate a bed and him only a shitty chair.  
  
And then he saw her arm.  
  
"Faith!’ he called out as he got up and saw her slumped between the two beds passed out. She was still connected to Sam, her blood flowing freely into him. She was pale as death and she didn’t react when he turned the transfusion off and pulled it out of her arm. She was cold as he held her and slapped her face lightly "Faith…come on, Faith, wake up." She didn’t as much stir as he shook her again, he leaned down and placed his ear next to her mouth.  
  
A slight breath escaped.  
  
He sighed and put her on the other bed. He shook off his jacket and laid it over her trying to warm her up. He pulled the other end of the tube out of Sam’s arm and went to the bathroom and drew hot water in the bathtub. When he went back Sam was stirring slightly, Faith hadn’t moved an inch. Picking her up he moved her into the bathroom, not even bothering with her clothes. He placed her in the tub of warm water, she gasped slightly in her stupor.  
  
"Come on" he muttered taking one of the cheap plastic motel cups and pouring hot water over her. He knew what she needed was blood but he didn’t have any, which meant he had to trust her Slayer whatever could help her. He was trying to keep her warm when Sam stumbled into the doorway  
  
"Dean?" he asked in complete confusion.  
  
He didn’t even look back as he said "Sam, she’s lost a lot of blood…I need an adrenaline shot and some food." Sam stood there in a daze for a second "NOW!" he screamed. Sam scrambled out in search of food as Dean went back to muttering "Come on ,baby…come on hold on."  
  
Faith said nothing in return.  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
"I like your hair."  
  
Buffy groaned as she opened her eyes and the stark whiteness of everything pierced her eyeballs like daggers. She closed them quickly and covered her head. Again the small child’s voice said "I like your hair, it’s pretty."  
  
Buffy did a quick mental check of herself. Conscious? Barely. Hurt? Not much. Pissed? Mucho. Keeping completely still she waited for the child’s voice again. In a couple of seconds she heard it next to her "Can I comb it?"  
  
Normally she wouldn’t do this. Normally she would have carefully assessed the situation and…well the situation would have been assessed. The voice of a child’s voice normally would cause Buffy to react like this, but the turn in her gut told her…that was no child.  
  
Her foot lashed out to the voice with the force of a gunshot. She had curled her leg and sent it flying as hard as she could. She was shocked to feel it stop dead cold, two small hands wrapped around her ankle. Looking back she saw a small black haired child, no more than six holding her foot as she might a doll. She looked down at the boot "I like your shoes too." she said smiling for a moment.  
  
And then she threw the slayer as if she weighed nothing, hurtling her almost thirty feet away. As Buffy sailed she noticed the room had no edges. It was a complete white space that seemed to go on forever, the only way she could gauge any distance was how far away she was from the little girl. She bounced twice off the floor before skidding to a halt.  
  
Shaking her head she tried to regain some composure but didn’t have the chance before a small but powerful hand grabbed her head back by the hair and said "I need you not to be broken." the voice said in the that same sing song voice "So don’t make me break you." she purred "I like your hair better than the other Slayer's."  
  
Buffy took a mental deep breath and pulled forward, she felt enough of her hair get torn out so that she could move around and land a solid hit in the child’s face. Expecting to feel bone and cartilage give she was shocked to feel her hand break the little girl’s nose easily, but her not move an inch. Buffy felt the impact move up her arm and into her shoulder as her strike’s momentum was reflected back at her. The little girl’s face, now smashed and bleeding was still smiling, her eyes went pure white. In a flash the face was perfect again, but Buffy’s arm was throbbing.  
  
"We can do it that way if you want." she said, smiling the entire time "She won’t be here for a while."  
  
Buffy wanted to ask who but the snap of her forearm broke any semblance of concentration she had. She looked down at see her arm at a ninety degree angle and screamed like she had never screamed before. The little girl cocked her head as Buffy saw her own broken bone protrude from her skin  
  
"You have such a nice voice." she said "Do it again.." the little girl turned the end of the slayer’s arm again, bending it completely backwards.  
  
Buffy screamed again.  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
Sam came running back into the room, a bag of chips and a Coke in one hand, an adrenaline shot clamped in his teeth "Reerere taic tisss."  
  
Dean looked up and grabbed the shot from Sam’s mouth. He took the tip off and shot Sam a worried look. In a very grave voice he simply said "Pray"  
  
And he plunged the needle into her chest.  
  
He expected her to gasp and shoot out of the tub all Pulp Fiction style. Instead she just laid there for a second, doing a very good impression of a corpse. Her eyes were hollowed, the skin a bruised lavender and her lips were white. There was no tinge of tan to her skin. She looked like a doll, a drowned broken doll. The needle seemed far too big to be jutting from her chest and Dean did not want to see it there a moment longer. "Oh shit" he said pulling the hypodermic free.  
  
Her hand lashed out and grabbed his wrist. Her eyes were wild as she looked at him with no recognition in her gaze. Her eyes seemed black, from her enlarged pupils. Dean froze as he said in the calmest voice he knew "Faith…it’s me, Faith…Dean." his hand had lost feeling but he didn’t try to move it "Faith come on…look at me." he said leaning in instead of pulling away "Look at me…you know me. You know who I am."  
  
At first the words meant nothing to her, they were a buzz of sounds as her mind and heart pounded in confusion. She sat there, wondering if she should kill the noisy thing or not as it spoke to her. She hurt. From head to toe she felt numb and electrocuted at the same time. Sucking in breaths seemed to take far too much effort, but she could not stop. Stuttering as her teeth chattered. She was wet and felt as if she had become water-logged inside as well. Like a drowning victim that floated to the surface before the last breath was squeezed out. The lights overhead were too stark and after images framed the man looking at her, bouncing in her vision, confusing her. Being in the dark was her place, she knew that. She knew 'that' before she even put together what was going on. But it was not long before she needed to know where she was and why. She frowned, grip slackening on his wrist. She did not want to hurt him. And then slowly but surely her mind began to make sense.  
  
"Dean?" she gasped feeling colder than hell "Am I in a bathtub? Again?"  
  
He smiled as his voice broke "Yeah, you were dirty." he made a gesture behind his back and Sam handed him the bag and can "Here, you are weak….eat."  
  
She almost turned him down and then felt the gnawing hunger in her as she looked at the chips. She couldn’t help herself from tearing the bag open and scarfing the whole contents down in a few bites. Salty and sharp, the chips were gone so fast she thought she had been cheated. Hand trembling, she tore open the Coke and drank it in one swallow. Her head felt a bit better. After a second she looked at him and in a gasp asked "More?"  
  
"Sam?" Dean asked, never looking away from her.  
  
"On it." he said turning away and out of the room.  
  
"You saved me again." she grated, smiling, wondering how crappy she looked right now. "Going to have to find some gold stars for you, baby."  
  
He smiled back at her and she felt her heart skip a different kind of beat, like it wanted to keep time with Dean's. "You saved Sam didn’t you?" she looked down and away from him, but he pulled her chin up to meet his gaze "Didn’t you?"  
  
She nodded, feeling almost embarrassed. She had been so afraid, felt like her back was to the wall. But a steely determination had blossomed inside of her. She knew, with a certainty, that Dean could not live without Sam. So if Sam lived- and Dean lived- then the sons of bitches that drove her to the extreme act would be paying through their teeth. Dean would see to it. She trusted that. Maybe she was a few shades of crazy and vengeful, but she had no doubt that Dean would avenge her if she died during the transfusion. Dean would live and some evil fucks would die. It would be alright.  
  
Getting to live was even better.  
  
And then his next words made her glad she was already lying down, otherwise? He would have floored her.  
  
"I love you." and he kissed her hard. Chips residue aroun


	6. Part Five

"So now what?" Faith asked walking out of the bathroom adjusting her clothes. She had taken off the wet ones she was wearing and had thrown on some of Dean’s. His t shirt she tied off in the front, his jeans were cinched together with a belt. She looked ridiculous but at least she was dry. Dean had been too sweet and let her change by herself. Lord knows if he had been in there they would still be occupied. Kissing him was both arousing and soothing, a blend she had never tasted before. Being connected to Dean, having him love her? It was a brand new day.  
  
Dean was sitting on the edge of the bed; his eyes told her he thought she looked a bit better than ridiculous in his clothes. She could stare back, if she let herself. Dean went beyond beautiful, physically- but now that she had come to know him? The soul of the man was enough to knock her breath from her body. Sam was sitting on a chair by the window, looking outside. "Find Buffy?" he said.  
  
"Well I grabbed the axe." she said taking a knife to the jeans, cutting them short enough in the legs to wear comfortably. "All we need is Willow to cast a…" and her face went pale "Willow!" she leapt up and raced out of the room, Dean was on her heels as she skidded to a stop in front of the car.  
  
The witch was gone.  
  
"Oh shit." Faith said as she checked under the seat, pulling the Slayer axe out "I lost Buffy and Willow all in the same night.." she said under her breath "I am fired for sure. If I even still have a job..."  
  
"Who’s Willow?" Dean asked coming up behind her.  
  
"Lady who saved both of your lives…and now she’s gone." she said looking out into the night. Her dark eyes scanned the skyline, where the orange bite of streetlights cast a glow to the indigo underbellies of the clouds. There were no signs or portents to lead the way. She had lost Willow. In her fear and anxiety over the brothers Winchester, she had left Willow on her own. Faith felt her belly curdle thinking of Willow deserted and alone. "And I don’t think she’s coming back." she said recalling Willow's black hair and yellow eyes. She recalled the veins throbbing under Willow's pale as milk skin, thinking of what could be using the witch now. She reached back and Dean met her halfway, his fingers winding through her own.  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>  
  
As soon as Azazel and Willow materialized in the room, one of the suited men began to intone "I want a new body!" The older demon looked at his son, recently evicted from the decapitated Lindsey and his lip curled in scorn.  
  
"You were the one who lost your head." Azazel said walking past him in an obvious dismissal "You deal with it."  
  
As Willow followed him, Lapidus reached out and grabbed her arm "Who in the hell are you supposed to be?"  
  
She looked over to him as her eyes glowed a dark yellow "I’m the wicked witch of the west" she said smiling. His hand burst into fire suddenly, his scream was piercing as he pulled back from her trying to put it out. She looked back to Azazel and shrugged "I hate handsy men."  
  
He held the door open for her as he smiled "It’s the only way children learn." She nodded and walked through.  
  
They walked into a smaller room that looked into a room composed of pure white. In the center was Buffy and Lilith. Buffy was bleeding, cradling one arm trying to crawl away. Willow watched as Lilith’s image would waver and flicker then appear in front of the slayer smiling. Azazel smiled as Lilith knelt down, grabbing the mangled arm roughly.  
  
"Pain is a great motivator." he said absently "The slayer is stubborn."  
  
"She always has been." Willow said the small flicker of doubt in her head consumed by the demon blood.  
  
He placed her arms around her diminutive shoulders "We were going to capture the other slayer to use as a sacrifice." he whispered in her ear "But you can call the conduit to us can’t you?"  
  
"I can do that." She nodded, again as if looking on the scene from a great distance away. The blood sang to her, caressed her. It wasn’t as much as being controlled as it was just being drunk. A vertigo that fizzed in her veins and spun along her nerves, telling her this was good. This was all. She was tapping into a deep, sunken supernova of energy..  
  
"Excellent" he purred "And you do want to teach Buffy a lesson don’t you?" again she wanted to say no, resist the temptation. But the honest truth was she did want to wipe that self righteous smirk from her best friend's face in a bad way. Everyone had flirted with their dark side but Buffy. Had been forced to look in a mirror darkly and wrestled with that had looked back. All except Buffy. She had always been the perfect little slayer, and that just burned Willow from within.  
  
"I do." she said smiling again, the blood throbbing in her head like a bass drum.  
  
"Then we should get started." he said gesturing, a door opening to the white room silently. Willow walked through slowly, like forced in a dream as she screamed for herself to wake up.  
  
But she didn’t.  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>  
  
Faith paced the motel room freaked.  
  
She had placed the axe on one of the beds after searching the car completely for any clues to the witch’s disappearance. Both Sam and Dean stared at the axe as she struggled to find her next move.  
  
"If she went dark side again we’re toast." she said more to herself as she paced. Her hands went through her hair, gripping and holding there as she tried to put her thoughts together.  
  
"Dark side?" Dean asked looking away from the shiny axe for a second.  
  
Faith nodded "She had issues a few years back…went kind of evil."  
  
Dean’s face hardened slightly "No one just goes kind of evil."  
  
Faith forced herself not to glance at Sam as she said "Sometimes it isn’t her fault." she said carefully "Dark magicks can sway her."  
  
"You mean like the demons back at the fight?" he offered.  
  
Faith swallowed hard as she nodded "Yes, it could be that."  
  
"Can I touch it?" Sam asked standing.  
  
"Um" Faith said as he reached for it "I don’t know if…"  
  
Sam curled his hand around the handle and Faith felt that same tug in her stomach as Sam’s entire body clenched for a second. He pulled his hand back with a sharp cry; she could swear she could smell burnt meat "Damn thing shocked me." Sam called out blowing on his hand.  
  
Dean got up and grabbed it with no problem. He flipped the axe over his hand as he said "Maybe it has a nerd guard." he said smirking at Sam.  
  
Faith wasn’t laughing.  
  
She grabbed the axe out of Dean’s hand mid spin. The movement was so fast that it took Dean almost three seconds to realize the axe was gone. he spun around as Faith gripped the axe in her hand. She wasn’t looking at Dean, she was looking at Sam.  
  
He was staring at his hand.  
  
"What’s wrong Sam?" she asked, terrified at the answer.  
  
"Something’s wrong." he said, still looking at his palm. He held it up and the burnt scar was healing in front of them. Dean’s mouth was agape as the burnt flesh was made whole again.  
  
The room was silent for a second and then Dean called out "What the fuck was that Wolverine shit?"  
  
Sam shook the hand vigorously, as if trying to restart blood flow to the appendage. His face was pale as he said "I don’t know."  
  
Faith saw Dean walk over and examine Sam’s hand with concern on his face. She was about to say something when she felt her arm explode in pain.. She almost crumpled to the floor as phantom pain raced up and down her right arm as if it was broken. She felt one of her knees touch the floor when Dean’s arms grabbed her by the shoulders and held her up "Faith?" he asked with his eyes wide with concern.  
  
She wanted to answer but she was a million miles away. She could feel the circuit of pain from her arm to miles away where a little girl was torturing her mercilessly. A little girl with eyes like boiled eggs. Faith could feel her anger and frustration as she tried again and again to stop her to no avail. Faith felt Dean shake her but she held out her injured hand to stop him.  
  
"Buffy." she whispered hoarsely "I can feel Buffy."  
  
"The axe?" he asked looking down at the weapon gripped in her white knuckles.  
  
She nodded distantly "We’re connected somehow." she could sense it; Buffy was reaching out, broadcasting somehow. She was talking all this pain and using it to call for Faith "God damnit that’s a good plan." she said out loud.  
  
"What is?" Dean asked confused.  
  
Faith stood up, clenching her teeth from the imagined pain "We can use this as a tether, a line back to where she is." she said feeling part of her mind push the broadcasted feelings farther back "We need to start driving."  
  
Dean nodded "That is always a good plan." he looked over to Sam who was still standing there staring at his hand "You going to be ok?" he asked.  
  
Sam kept stared, again not even hearing Dean’s voice "Hey! McFly! You with us?"  
  
Sam looked up sharply "What?" and then made a face "Yeah, I’m fine." Clearly he wasn’t but Dean was running out of shoulders to lend.  
  
"Grab the weapons, we’re rolling." he said leading Faith out towards the car. He said in a lower voice to her "You sure you’re ok?"  
  
"Five by five" she said getting into the passenger side.  
  
He smiled as he closed her door and leaned in the window "Someday you’re gonna have to tell me what that means."  
  
She looked over at him and smiled the best she could "Someday I will." She began to lean in to kiss him when Sam walked out and closed the motel room door. Both her and Dean stopped for the moment and grinned.  
  
Once Sam had secured the duffel bag they took off, beginning their circle of LA. "Turn left." she said after a time, her eyes closed as she followed the pain.  
  
"Left it is." he said taking the next left and driving.  
  
Neither one of them noticed Sam’s eyes closed as well, as if listening to a distant conversation.  
  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>  
  
  
Xander rifled through his room for a piece of paper.  
  
Actually he was looking for a specific piece of paper since there was a lot of paper flying around. Anyone who knew Xander Harris knew he was a packrat; in fact there were a few packrats that knew he was a packrat. As he tossed old comics books one way and discarded Maxim’s the other he was growing more and more frustrated.  
  
Giles had given him the phone to call Buffy. He was relatively sure that was why he had handed his phone over. But Buffy wasn’t answering, adding to the ever growing problems of Slayers without cell phones. He had tried to get the council to approve one of those cool Mission Impossible ear pieces communication systems so everyone could be in contact all the time. But between the council wondering such a cost was necessary and Buffy accurately stating Xander would just use it to whisper "Luke, use the force." all the time, they had vetoed it as a luxury they could not afford.  
  
As he tossed the player’s guide to Zelda out of his way he was pretty sure they were past luxury now.  
  
Finally he found what he was looking for, a binder filled with plastic sleeves. He pulled it out and flipped it open as dozen of Magic The Gathering Cards were displayed. He had worked hard on getting a set like this, and then of course moved to England where no one played. He shook his head as he flipped the plastic pages one by one. They were divided by color and when he got to white he paused and saw the card he was after. He read the card’s name Dogged Hunter and smiled. Pulling it out a slip of paper came with it, he unfolded it and began dialing.  
  
Time to call in the big dawgs now.  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
They had driven for almost forty minutes when the pain stopped.  
  
Faith left out a breath she hadn’t been aware she was holding and placed a hand on the dash as she tried to catch her breath. Dean pulled the car over "What is it?"  
  
Faith concentrated for a second "Buffy…she’s gone." She felt like something had been cut off from inside of her and there was a huge empty nothingness staring back at her. She called out into the void for Buffy again…but got no response.  
  
"Where do we go now?" Dean asked.  
  
Faith shook her head "No idea." she concentrated again and felt something touch her mind back. Something horrible, hungry and sick. She mentally and physically reared back as she closed her mind, she felt the axe warm for a second and then the heat was gone. Dean put his hand on her back and rubbed there as she tried to get control "Something…something else tried to reach me." she said breathlessly "Something that killed Buffy."  
  
Dean looked so concerned she could kiss him, but the pit in her stomach told her it wasn’t the time. In a low voice he asked "So now where?"  
  
She was about to tell him 'no idea' when Sam said from the back seat "I know how to find them." Dean looked back and gasped for a second as he saw his brother’s eyes.  
  
Two black orbs looked back at him as Sam grinned and asked "Mind if I drive?"  
  
The Impala shifted into gear and took off at full speed, Dean held on as he began to reach for his gun.  
  
Faith looked behind in shock as Sam held one hand out with his eyes closed. The car maneuvered through the streets as if on rails, she looked over at Dean who was pulling his pistol out slowly. She placed a hand on his "Wait" she said whispering.  
  
He gave her a look and jerked his head towards Sam "He’s possessed!"  
  
She looked back but didn’t feel the same gut punch of demonic possession she normally did. Shaking her head she said "I don’t think so."  
  
He looked back and then at her "Then how is he doing that?"  
  
Good question.  
  
"I don’t know." she said gripping her axe tighter "But he isn’t possessed."  
  
"I’m not possessed and I can hear you." Sam said still driving.  
  
Dean spun around "Then you wanna explain how you’re doing that?"  
  
Sam continued to keep his eyes closed "No idea, but I know where they are." the car accelerated again "Hold on."  
  
Dean cursed under his breath as the car took another impossible turn.  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>  
  
The car pulled up in front of the abandoned Wolfram and Hart building with a screech. Sam dropped his hand as the car turned itself off, his eyes flashing back to normal. Dean almost leapt in the backseat and grabbed Sam by the shirt "What the hell are you? What did you do with my brother?"  
  
Sam pulled back slightly as Dean tried to climb over the seat. Faith grabbed one of Dean's legs and pulled him back down. Hard. Before he hit the seat, she slapped his ass- but that was mostly for herself. Dean gave Faith a wounded look as Sam rubbed his neck. "He’s not possessed, Dean." Faith said in as stern a voice as she can manage.  
  
"Then explain the Jedi mind trick!" he shot back at her and then looked in the back seat "And NEVER do that to my car again."  
  
"It’s my fault Dean." she said summoning up as much truth in her voice as she could "It’s my blood, it’s messing with him." Dean stopped as Sam sat there with his mouth half open. She nodded and said "It’s rare but sometimes Slayer blood can do this to people." she was lying her ass off but so far Dean was buying it. She was watching Sam as well, the younger brother wasn’t as accepting of her explanation. "It can amplify the normal power that a human being has. It's chemistry. I didn't know exactly how it would go with Sam, but I had to try. It's my fault if he's a little out there. But he's Sam. He's fine.." she explained "He isn’t a demon."  
  
Dean looked at her, then Sam, then back to her "He isn’t?"  
  
Sam sighed "That’s what I’ve been telling you!"  
  
Dean scowled at him "Yeah, but that’s just what a demon would say."  
Sam stopped and then shrugged, a small smile pulling at his lips. "Good point."  
  
"It wears off?" Dean asked Faith and she saw Sam lean forward, his eyes calling out to hers. Faith mentally took a deep breath and said "Yeah, it fades."  
  
Dean let out a sigh and said "Well then, why didn’t you say so?" he said turning back to the windshield "Why the hell did you bring us here?"  
  
Typical Dean, once he had an explanation he could swallow he simply moved on like that. Faith knew he had to think something was up; he simply didn’t want to face it. Which was fine with her. Dean had so much to handle right now that he was back-burnering what would only distract him.  
  
"They’re here." Sam said looking out at the burnt out building "I know it."  
"Well what do you expect us to do? Shoot a bat rope up and climb the side of the building?" Dean asked sarcastically.  
  
Sam squinted at the building "I don’t think that building is as dead as we thought." he could feel the image of the skyscraper rubbing at the edge of his mind. It was flickering, like an image made of rice paper, it was threatening to tear at any second. Closing his eyes he held out a hand again and he felt the power flow through him and the distant sound of breaking glass in his mind.  
  
"Holy shit." he heard Dean mutter.  
  
Sam opened his eyes and looked up and gasped.  
  
There in front of them stood the Wolfram and Hart building…completely undamaged, gleaming like a dark beacon in the night.  
  
"They rebuilt…" Faith muttered.  
  
"Right under everyone’s noses." Dean finished.  
  
"If they get the conduit in place…" Sam said from the backseat.  
  
Faith looked at the brothers "Then L.A. would already have been lost."  
  
"Come on." Dean said getting out of the car and opening the trunk. He handed Sam a pistol as he loaded the sawed off shotgun. He glanced at the trunk and then to Faith but she shook her head.  
  
Holding up the axe she said "All I need."  
  
He smiled and closed the trunk "Women with weapons…man, that’s hot."  
  
He moved towards the building and she grabbed him and made him stop "You aren’t afraid at all are you?"  
  
He smirked for a second and then his face grew serious "I am only afraid of two things in this world." he said holding his hand p as he counted off "One, is my brother getting hurt and me not being able to fix it." she nodded "And two, is you not feeling the same way towards me as I do towards you." His face was completely vulnerable, no smile, no smirk, no nothing. She was looking directly at the real Dean Winchester for a second.  
  
And her face fell. She opened her mouth to tell him he didn't have anything to worry about, but he was not ready to hear it. He started talking before she could break in her two cents.  
  
"So to answer your question" his voice was full of bravado and cockiness "Hell no." he cocked the shotgun and kissed her on the cheek "Let’s kick ass and chew bubblegum!" he roared moving past her.  
  
She shook her head as she smiled. That man was one of a kind.  
  
They got two steps towards the lobby when the front windows exploded outward. They all covered their faces as the courtyard was littered with falling glass. As they looked up they saw Jessica’s body standing next to Willow, her hair still dark, her eyes still yellow. The sneer on Jessica’s face was disgusting to Sam as she said "Awww…look. It’s the Saved by the Bell gang." she looked at Dean "You’re Zack." to Sam "You’re Slater." and then to Faith "And you must be the slut who was in Showgirls."  
  
Faith whipped the axe up "And you’re the bitch hiding in a human suit." the blade gleamed in the moonlight "Why don’t you come out and play?"  
  
Meg’s nose scrunched up as she looked at Faith "That old thing?" she scoffed "Been there, done that."  
  
Faith ignored the demon as she looked at Willow "Will? Come on, you can’t be bad."  
  
Willow smiled wanly, two scarlet strips on her pale face "Who said I was bad? Maybe this is just who I am."  
  
Faith almost whispered "That isn’t you."  
  
Willow cocked her head "Aww Faithy. You afraid we’re gonna fight?"  
  
Faith gripped the blade with both hands "Oh we will."  
  
Meg smiled "No…you’re not for her." and a third figure stepped out of the shadows. Buffy stood there, her hair looked almost on fire in the darkness, her eyes completely white with power. Faith gasped as she saw the conduit raging through Buffy's body.  
  
With a smile devoid of all mirth Buffy’s mouth said "So you’re Faith?" her voice vibrated with power "I’m not impressed." She raised her hand and Faith felt a wave of power pass over her.  
  
And then she fell down face first as her heart stopped beating.  
  
She heard Dean yell distantly in the distance. But to be honest she was just too tired to care anymore. Thankfully, the world went dark.


	7. Part Six

She had been here before.

  
Faith stood on a long stretch of sand. It extended out in front of her like a never ending path of brown moving straight into the horizon. She was barefoot and she wore a dress, a plain black shapeless dress that fluttered its hem around her knees. She paused for a moment about where she was or how she got here but the impulse passed. As if the wondering of her mind was simply hushed, she could not get her head together. This was not so foreign to her, but she could not say why.  
  
She had been here before.  
  
As she walked she could feel the sand move beneath her feet, the sky exploded into colors that reminded her of lividity and strangulatio. The clouds chased each other overhead like a film running forward at high speed. The dunes that seemed to rise from the barren stretches did not tire her legs, but she felt trepidation rounding them. She walked around a dark swathe of sand to see a woman was standing there in her path.

"You’re late." The slump-shouldered woman said with a harsh tone. Like a harpy, the woman shuffled her upper body and seemed to drag her legs in her wake."Kept me waiting."  
  
Faith felt herself shrink back from the tone instantly, her back clenching and shoulders tight. She wanted to be smaller, invisible. She tried to take a step back but found she couldn’t. The woman reached out, her breath stinking of alcohol and smoke as she grabbed the Slayer's hair. Faith felt herself beat at the hands uselessly as the woman held her aloft and shook her as she screamed "What is wrong with you! Useless waste of flesh!" Faith tore at the hands again and again but the woman would not let go "Grow up and be a whore spreading your legs for anyone and everyone. All women are good for, and then they still won't have you. You do what you are, girl... nothing good." she had spun Faith around to face her. Spittle flew in the slayer’s face as the woman went on "Should have let you die when you were born! Should have drowned you as a sniveling rat of an infant!"  
  
Faith tried to pull back again as she grabbed the hag's wrist with both hands and screamed "LET ME GO MAMA!" She heard flesh tearing as Faith came away with two folds of dead flesh like jerky in her grip, leaving a skeletal hand entangled in her hair.  
  
"YOU WILL NEVER BE AWAY FROM ME!" Her mothre screamed, the flesh falling from her face, leaving only the skeletal remains of charred bones leering at her with that eternal grin. Faith went berserk and beat at the arm relentlessly; she had to get away from her.  
  
She fell to the ground instantly.  
  
The sand cushioned the fall as Faith looked up in panic for her mother to start attacking her again but all she saw was sand. The path was unbarred as she took off running, desperate to get away from here. Anywhere but here. Because she knew.  
  
She had been here before.  
  
Another few steps and a man stood in the center of the path. He was a massive man with a barrel chest and forearms larger than most people’s legs. He had a grizzly face and as he stood with his arms crossed the faded but still visible bulldog mascot of the Marine Corps could be made out. He looked at her with one eye lifted and the contempt a warrior gives of those who are not. With a slight growl he said "Weak. Pathetic. Useless."  
  
She knew what came next; she dropped down to the now black sand as he lashed forward with a strike. She felt her entire body respond as she moved beneath the blow, throwing him over to his back. This was Marley, the Marine who had taken her in the weeks after she had run away. He had saw her sleeping on the streets and brought her back to his place. Where he fed her, talked to her, and eventually taught her to fight.  
  
He spun on his back taking her legs out from under her. She fell to her back as she felt his weight on top of her "Slow." he barked "Scrawny. Hopeless." he growled holding her down on the floor. She struggled with him as his breath was hot against her face. "Sluggish." he said slower as his hand began to wander downwards "Feeble." she could feel his lust press against her leg "Female."  
  
NO!" she struck out, her hand lashing across his face. Never again. She had promised herself, never again would she be meat for anyone. The snap of bone was one that was both recognizable and comforting on some level to her as she pushed his corpse off of her. She felt the sand kick up as she ran again, she felt the wind rush through her hair as she took off down the waterless beach as fast as she could because she knew.  
  
She had been here before.  
  
She ran smack dab into another man. This one was younger than Marley yet older than Faith. He was wearing a suit that looked too big on him and had a casual yet empathetic smile that looked out of place on someone so young. He held her by the shoulders and talked in a soothing voice "You don’t have to run anymore." his voice was American but there was a clipped edge to it. He sounded like he was trying to speak with a British accent or he was trying hard not to.  
  
This was Archer, her watcher sent by the council to find the potential in South Boston and teach her about her new life. Faith was his first potential and he had such high hopes for them. He was everything she would have wanted in a Watcher…except for that lousy accent.  
  
It sounded adorable nonetheless and she felt the momentary rush of panic begin to subside. His eyes were like pools of understanding: calming, healing, wise. "You are special Faith, you are one of the chosen few in the world." he said as her breathing calmed. "What you did you did for survival. Out of fear. You never have to be afraid again. You are not weak Faith, you are not alone." his smile warmed her for a moment "You will never have to be alone."  
  
And then a fist pierced his chest.  
  
"For Kakistos we live." a voice said behind the dying Watcher. As the startled body of Archer fell to the sand staining it with fresh blood "For Kakistos you die." said the ancient vampire standing in front of her with cloven hooves dug into the sand.  
  
She reacted without thought; her hand striking into his eye, the wet pop was disturbing as she felt warm liquid splatter on her hand. He fell to a crouch cursing as she pushed past him and began running again. She wiped the gore off her hand but found the blood would not come off. She wasn’t surprised, after all. There was always going to be a stain. Blood never came away so easily.  
  
She had been here before.  
  
She felt the sand really pick up as she took off like a bullet. She knew he was behind her as her chest clenched in pain from the exertion. She ran and ran and ran; knowing that distance here was of no consequence. As she sprinted she could feel the vampire’s breath on her neck as she saw a group of people standing on the side of the path. Throwing an elbow behind her she was rewarded with a momentary cry of pain and the feeling of him faded as she came up on the gathering of people.  
  
They were five people her age standing there; three girls and two boys. The girls were as different as could be. One was tall and blond and had a superior look about her while the other was smaller, red headed and looked like she was uncomfortable in her own skin. The last was pretty with big hair, she twirled it as she looked around seeming bored with life. The boys though were as most boys. One was taller and had a smirk that hid his insecurity.. The other was smaller and for some reason reminded Faith of a predator with his eyes. "Problems?" the blond asked, talking for all of them.  
  
"Run!" Faith gasped, stopping for a moment "It’s coming. It’s coming…"  
  
"It’s coming for you." The blond said with her hands on her hips "Not for us."  
  
The tall boy shrugged "Yeah sorry, we’re all full up on ancient vampires bent on vengeance."  
  
The red headed girl nodded "Yeah what’s up with that? Why do vampires have to be so vengeancy?"  
  
The pretty girl chimed in "I know. That is so…ugh. I mean why even bother?"  
  
The smaller boy looked at her with a dead pan look and said "Something in their blood?"  
  
They all laughed as a figure came looming behind Faith. She looked at them again "You have to help me! He’s coming!!"  
  
The blond took a step forward and almost spit in her face "I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to." and she pushed Faith farther down the path "I’m Buffy."  
  
Faith stumbled for a few steps and then began running again. She knew it was coming, she could feel it behind her. Suddenly there was a knife in her hand and she knew it was going to be him or her. One of them was going to die in the next few seconds. She ran and ran and ran, worry turning to fear turning to terror. She knew what came next. She always knew what comes next.  
  
She had been here before.  
  
The hand on her shoulder caused her to call out and she spun, lunging with the knife as hard as she could. "DIE!" she screamed "STOP CHASING ME!!" her voice was ragged with fear.  
  
A man stood there, knife plunged into his chest. The deputy mayor, again. Dark red began to spill out staining his suit as she let go of the knife and gasped. He looked down at the knife and then back to her "Way to go…" he gasped out "…killer."  
  
And he died. Again.  
  
She turned around to run and he was standing there, smiling.  
  
"Hi Faith." Mayor Wilkins said smiling.  
  
"He" she said looking back at the body "He just...I mean…I thought he was-"  
He shushed her quietly as they began to walk "So you killed someone.." he said reasonably "I mean who hasn’t?" he laughed "And besides he was evil anyways, and in the end that’s what counts."  
  
She was unconvinced as they kept walking; she noticed his shoes didn’t leave any footsteps as they talked "But I killed a man."  
  
He shrugged "And?" he asked looking at her "I mean there are six billion of them wandering around. What’s one more dead in the long run?" she opened her mouth to argue but he put a finger on her lips to silence her "Look Faith, I can’t have you going all soft every time you off someone." he said in that father like voice "People are soft and they get in the way." he paused "Kind of like Peeps." she looked confused "Little marshmallow chicks they sell at Easter?" she nodded her head in shock "Well see people are like that. They are soft, squishy and I have to admit delicious." he said patting his stomach "I mean what’s Easter without Peeps?" they continued walking but she was numb "So what’s life without killing a few people?" He handed her a knife "Take this and go have some fun." he said "After all, you only live once." and his eyes turned reptilian "And then you die and burn with the rest of us for  
all time!"  
  
She pulled away and began to run again. He stood there and laughed as she felt the sand moving beneath her feet as she kicked it away. She kept looking over her shoulder for him to follow when she heard a sound in front of her. She turned and Buffy was standing there smiling. She was holding the knife the Mayor had just handed her, waving it in her hand. Faith looked up and tried to stop as Buffy plunged it into her gut, a grim smile on her face "Hey remember this?" she said turning the knife "I stuck it in your gut. Just slid it in you like you were butter."  
  
Faith felt the blood begin to spill as she rammed her head forward into Buffy’s.  
  
The blond Slayer shattered into shards of glass, each one showing a small part of Buffy like a mirror broken. Faith began to drag herself forward, copious amounts of blood dropping with each step. The pain radiated so deep that it was cold around the edges, and she knew it was a killing blow. Except the way things had been going, she wasn't so sure she would ever have the rest of death and dying. The tranquility and bright light? Was that for real or just a snowjob so people kept hoping til the bitter end? As she pulled herself forward she saw a man standing on the side of the road. He was handsome and well built, his face glowing with the mid west charm that screamed all American. He smiled at her and she felt herself smiling back.  
  
"Riley?" she called out in surprise.  
  
"Fucking whore!" he said spitting in her face. She flinched as if hit as she stumbled away from him "It made me sick knowing I fucked you. I should have known it wasn’t her!" he screamed as she limped away "I should have known…it felt wrong! You are wrong!"  
  
His voice faded in the distance as she fell to the ground, gasping like a fish out of water. Looking up she saw another handsome man. Though unlike Riley Finn, Lindsey was sophisticated and had a veneer of charm. His eyes were far more knowing than Riley's. He had that swarmy smile of a city boy. "You ok?" he asked kneeling down. His hand was out and she didn’t want to take it…but she was so weak…so hurt…  
  
"I’m Lindsey." he said as she felt his hand go around hers "I’m here to help you." he said helping her up "I just need a favor…"  
  
He pressed a crossbow in her hand and pushed her forward. She somehow managed to keep her feet under her as she tripped her way up the beach. As she walked in a daze she saw a man tied to a chair. He was beaten badly, one eye swollen shut as he looked over to her "We’ve done blunt." he said through his split lip "That still leaves sharp, cold, hot and loud."  
  
The words chilled her to the bone as she turned and began to run. The crossbow was still there and as she rounded the next corner she saw a man standing there in a trenchcoat. His beauty took her breath away and as she began to slow she saw that somewhere, behind those ancient eyes.  
  
He understood.  
  
Suddenly Lindsey was next to her grabbing her hand "Come on, come on already." he called out moving Faith’s arm to aim at the vampire "What the hell do you think you are?" he said his finger looping around hers "You’re a killer not a human." he whispered in her ear "So kill already!"  
  
She felt his finger tighten as the bolt went flying at Angel. Crying out she pushed the lawyer off of her and ran towards the dark figure. She got two steps as she saw the bolt pierce his heart instantly. He looked up as if to say something and then he dissolved.  
  
No, no, no...Angel. She sobbed harshly, hands ineffectually closing on air.

She dropped to her knees as the wind blew what remained of him into her face. She sat there sobbing, her tears and blood staining the ground. She saw a shadow over her but she didn’t have the energy to even look up. She heard the mayor’s voice again.  
  
"So what’d you think? You’d get your soul back and everything’d be Jim Dandy?" she felt him kneel down to her level "Soul’s slippery than a greased weasel. Why do you think I sold mine?" he laughed but it was without feeling, without any real emotion "No matter what you do, Buffy will always see you as a killer, not as a person." she shook her head as he went on "You keep looking for love and acceptance from these people, these…friends…of yours, but you? You’re never going to find it." his voice was in her ear…and she knew what was coming next.  
  
She had been here before.  
  
But instead she heard a wet thunk and a gurgling sound as the shadow vanished. Standing there over the Mayor’s dead body was Dean Winchester. He looked…well perfect. His hair blew in the breeze as he stood there with his hands in his leather jacket. He looked down at her and said "The truth is nobody will ever love you. Not the way I love you."  
  
She felt her throat close up. She wanted to run before Dean could hurt her or turn on her like everyone else in this place. She could not bear it from him. If he kicked her and told her to die - she might, just from the words..  
  
He got down next to her, crouching to bring their faces level. "You have to get up." he said, his voice with that same urgency that Dean seemed to have for everything "Faith, you have to get up."  
  
She shook her head, she was tired, so tired.  
  
He shook her "Get up, Faith. I mean it." his voice was harder now, almost a growl "Get your ass up RIGHT NOW!" she looked up at him and his eyes were the most brilliant green she had ever seen…because they were tinged with tears "You have to get up…" he sounded so sad.  
  
He placed his hand on her chest and she felt the warmth "You have to get up."  
  
She looked him in the eyes. He tried to smile and said under his breath "For me?"  
  
And she realized…somewhere in her brain that made sense. For Dean? She could do more. Would do more.  
  
She got up and began to walk again, this was different, this was new. She was not just waiting to see what came next. Now? She wanted out of this wasteland. She had things to do. She had Dean waiting on her, needing her. This place was going to let her go if she had to rake down the sky with her fingernails. She left Dean kneeling back there as she rounded the last turn. She was not surprised to see Buffy standing there. She was dressed in typical Buffy fashion, red leather pants, black shirt, smug look. But she was sitting in front of a fire at the edge of the beach. Behind her there was nothing…nothing but blackness. She looked up as Faith stepped forward "You are here."  
  
There was something in the voice that was different, something in the timbre or the tone…the dark Slayer nodded "I’m here."  
  
She made a gesture for her to sit "We must talk, you and I."  
  
Faith sat down slowly "You’re not Buffy."  
  
Faith saw Buffy’s eyes look back at her "I am." and then the eyes changed. Her hair grew dark and Faith saw her own face looking back "I am you." and then to Kendra "I am her." and her face changed a million times and in a million voices said "I am them." Faith closed her eyes as her head swam and when she opened them again she was sitting across from a dark skinned savage with dried mud on her face and a spear in her hand. There was an air of savagery from her but Faith had no fear, none at all. For the first time she got here, she felt nothing but belonging and peace.  
  
"You’re the Slayer," Faith said.  
  
"The question is" she said turning in Buffy’s voice "are you?"  
  
Faith paused, not understanding the question.  
  
The primal Slayer went on "You have been here before Faith Lehane. You have come to this place where life and death meet." she gestured to the right where the dunes were alive with vegetation and flowers "Life" and she gestured towards the rolling black ocean with no end "And death." She gestured behind Faith "You have been here before."  
  
Faith turned to look behind her and saw herself lying in a hospital bed. She stifled a gasp as she saw the tubes and monitors connected to her form…she looked so…frail. "You have been here before, and you have chosen to leave." Faith looked back at her "And now you are here again." The primal pointed the spear towards her "The question is do you wish to be the Slayer?"  
  
Faith paused, no one had ever asked her before. In her entire life it had always just been. Never a choice, never a decision. It was simply, life.

"Not be the Slayer?" Faith asked.  
  
"You are here." she said again in Buffy’s voice "You have a choice."  
  
Faith looked to the dunes and saw a bunch of people standing there. Xander, Giles, Clem, Dawn, the potentials. All of them just standing there, smiling at her. But she didn’t notice any of them, all she saw was Dean. He stood there, that same sad look on his face, waiting. Waiting for her.  
  
She looked to the other side and the ocean called to her. It was relaxing, calming…forever. She could feel the end of her worries and cares in that water. No evil, no tasks, no fate. A chance to sleep, perhaps to dream. She was so tired…so damn tired of this.  
  
"You have a choice." the primal asked again.  
  
"Stop doing that." Faith said suddenly "If you’re going to sound like her be her." She thought the primal would be angry or lash out. Instead it was Buffy sitting across from her.  
  
"Better?" she asked.  
  
"Good enough." Faith muttered "That talking with your lips not moving is creepy."  
  
"I know right?" Buffy said "Total night of the living ventriloquist."  
  
Faith’s head shot up "Buffy?"  
  
Buffy looked back at her "Um…yeah?"  
  
Faith sighed in relief "You’re here! You’re actually here!" she said getting up and hugging her tightly.  
  
"Um…personal space." Buffy said patting her on the back.  
  
"I thought you were dead!" Faith said sitting next to her.  
  
Buffy looked past Faith towards the water, her voice was legions deep and soft. "I think I am."  
  
Faith turned and saw Buffy standing with the waves crashing around her knees. She stood there, watching the silently milling people on the shore of Life. Faith looked back at Buffy who smiled. The golden girl smiled compassionately, saying "Kind of creepy huh?" Faith saw her sigh and look down "Maybe third time’s a charm."  
  
Faith felt the panic begin to rise in her chest again "You can’t die. You can’t."  
  
She looked up with a sympathetic smile "I’ve died twice already." and in a smaller voice "I’ve been here before too."  
  
Faith felt her whole world begin to tumble "But the girls, and the Council…Buffy you can’t die."  
  
"I already have Faith." she grabbed the other Slayers hand "This is like some kind of Obi wan message from beyond and oh my god I am so killing Xander I know that." she said in frustration. Faith felt herself smile as tears began to burn her eyes "You have to stop them." she said "You do." she said even more earnest. "I know it is completely unfair for me to tell you to go on when I…" and she looked at the ocean again "…I can’t. But you have to Faith. You really do."  
  
"I don’t want to." she said hating the weakness in her voice "I’m not supposed to be the Slayer. You are. I’m the evil one; I am always going to be just the bad one."  
  
Now Buffy was crying "No, you’re not." she sighed "Look I’ve been a bitch to you a long time." and she paused "And wow you know I am dead if I can say that out loud." she looked at Faith "I just…I just so wanted to be like you. All cool and tough and…well not me." she said "But with Dawn and my mom and everything…I never could." she touched Faith’s cheek "We should have been friends, we should have been great friends."  
  
Faith nodded as she felt herself cracking up "I would have liked that." she admitted.  
  
Buffy’s face softened "So would have I." she stood up suddenly "Look I have to go." she said as Faith rose too "But let me give you something before I go. Something I should have given you a long time ago."  
  
Faith opened her mouth to stop her but Buffy was suddenly holding the axe. She handed it to her "Here." she said thrusting it into Faith’s hand "It belongs with the Slayer."  
  
Faith’s hand gripped it automatically and she felt its power flow through her. She could feel what was left of Buffy’s life flow into her. She blinked as she didn’t feel so tired any more. Buffy was closer to her now than she had ever been before. Taking Buffy's body had been a childish attack, and nothing so intimate as this. She had the life essence of her friend-not-friend winding through her veins sure and strong.  
  
Buffy was fading like a ghost. She looked at the dunes, directly at Dean. She asked Faith "You love that boy?"  
  
Faith turned to see Dean standing there, still waiting. Faith couldn’t talk, only nod.  
  
Buffy’s hands went through Faith like mist "Then live." she said "Live for him." and Faith felt Buffy drifting away "And tell Angel…" and the voice paused "…tell him there will be cookies waiting for him on the other side." Faith made a face for a second and heard Buffy laugh "He’ll know what it means."  
  
And she was gone.  
  
Faith could feel it. What was left of Buffy’s life was now in her, coating every cell of her being. She looked down and saw the primal looking up at her. Now in her own voice Faith heard her ask "What is your choice?"  
  
Faith gripped the axe tighter and smiled "I am the Slayer." she said "And it’s time for me to leave this place." she looked around "And never come back."  
  
The primal nodded and opened its mouth "Stay with me Faith."  
  
She blinked a few times…that was Dean’s voice. Again the ancient Slayer spoke by moving its mouth "Come on Faith! Wake UP!!!"  
  
And her heart started beating again. Her body shivered back to life and she gripped two things- the handle of the axe- and Dean Winchester.


	8. Part Seven

Faith fell backwards.  
  
"Faith!’ Dean yelled as he ran towards her.  
  
Willow raised her hands as she began to cast a spell and Sam thrust his hand forward. His eyes turned black as she looked up in naked shock. The witch barely had time to register Sam's eyes before she went flying back through the plate glass window. She flew back like she had been struck in the chest by something moving fast. Meg looked on in amazement as the witch went hurtling back into the lobby, embedding into the wall.  
  
"What the…" Meg muttered as Sam looked at her. His smile was as grim as she had ever seen on a human.  
  
"Get out of her now." he growled as he concentrated solely on her. She began to cough as she felt herself being pushed out of Jessica’s form. She looked over towards the Conduit in desperation "Do something!" she choked.  
  
Meg saw Buffy’s head look over at her with an expression that looked like she was regarding an insect and said "My part is done." she said and vanished.  
  
Meg looked back at Sam as he pushed one more time. Jessica fell to her knees, coughing black smoke out of her mouth in great heaves. Sam could feel the demon inside struggling against him as she tried to hold on.  
  
Dean knelt next to Faith, she was already growing cold as she refused to breathe. Setting down his shotgun he put a hand behind her head "Faith, you have to get up." he said moving the hair out of her face.  
  
She continued to hold onto the axe with a death grip…with a strong grip as Dean tried not to lose it. If she was alive enough to hold onto the axe, she had to be able to hear him. He would not think otherwise. "Get up, Faith. I mean it." his voice was ragged and filled with jagged shards of emotion as he saw the color leave her face.  
  
Jessica fell to the concrete unconscious as Meg was sent packing to Hell, a Sam Winchester no return label on her ass. Sam ran over to Jessica, taking his jacket off and draping it around her as she laid in his arms, unconscious but breathing. He released a huge breath he hadn’t even been aware he was holding as he realized she was alright. In the moment, fighting Meg- he had not been sure how Jessica's body would fare. There was no way to stop halfway through driving out Meg to ask Jessica how she was doing. Sam winced as he barely rested his palm to Jessica's clammy brow. She was alive. He had to keep telling himself that. He looked back over to Dean, who was kneeling over a girl of his own.  
  
In an angry voice Dean called out to her "Get your ass up, RIGHT NOW!" She didn’t budge once as he felt hot tears begin to sting his eyes as he began to come to realize…she might be gone. No do-overs. No more Faith, and no more 'them'.  
  
"You have to get up…" he said under his breath as his throat closed up with a sob "You have to get up…" he said almost inaudibly "For me?"  
  
He saw a single tear fall from his eyes and splash on her face as he began to lower his head in defeat.  
  
And her eyes flew open as if she were jolted by pure electricity. With her free hand, Faith grabbed the front of his shirt. He almost jerked back in shock as she looked him straight in the eyes and smiled "For you." she said and pulled him in for a kiss. She kissed him hard and a little violent, but she wanted him to know. He had to know. He was the One. She didn't have time to go Wizard of Oz on him and explain how he was there over the black rainbow and all. "I'd go anywhere for you. I'll always...come when you need me. I love you." She whispered the words because if she said them too loud, she would fucking cry. And she was not going to cry.  
  
Sam felt himself tear up as he saw Dean hug into Faith with desperation and relief. He was seriously going to have to reevaluate his opinion of those two.  
  
"You saved me again. How many I owe you now?" she said sitting up. The axe in her hand was throbbing with a power she had never felt before. This was what it felt like to be The Slayer?  
  
"I did?" he asked drying his face quickly and then he smiled "I mean, of course I did."  
  
She rolled her eyes as she shook her head "You are the only person I know, Dean Winchester, that can be annoying and endearing at the exact same time."  
  
They stood up together as he smirked "It’s a talent." in a more concerned voice he asked "You ok?" She looked at him with an arched eyebrow and he raised a hand "Let me guess, five by five?"  
  
She nodded "Now you’re getting it." she said taking a few steps towards Sam and Jessica. That was when a wave of energy came shooting out through the shattered windows of the lobby. Faith pulled Dean to the ground as it sailed over their heads. She could see Sam stand up quickly, both hands pushing against the wave of scarlet light as it flowed around him and Jessica like a wave around a rock. The statue in the center of the courtyard along with the stone Wolfram and Hart was pulverized as the power hit it with the force of a Mack truck.  
  
"Go!" Sam yelled as Willow floated out of the lobby, both hands glowing with power.  
  
Faith didn’t need to be told twice, one hand on the axe, the other in Dean’s hand they ran towards the lobby, at the end she was pulling him along as he tried to pull back "What about Sam?"  
  
"He’s got this." she called out, hoping she was right. Since Willow’s corruption had come from Sam’s blood, Sam seemed the closest choice to handle her. It was time to make quick choices, like the soldiers that they were. She could feel Dean hesitate for a second and then follow her into the building. He hated leaving Sam but he knew this was going to be a bigger fight than that.  
  
Four men came rushing out, all dressed in black suits and ear wigs providing communication. The new building’s security no doubt. The turnover around here had to be off the hook. Dean’s shotgun was deafening in the enclosed space as one of the men went flying back into the wall. Faith brought her axe up in a wide swing, from the way it hummed with power told her these men were not humans.  
  
In less time it takes to tell the four men were dead or unconscious.  
  
Dean looked over and smiled at Faith as the elevator car dinged and the doors slid open "Really dreadful the quality of demonic security these days."  
  
She looked over at him as they walked in "Yeah you get what you pay for." She pushed the top level as the doors closed, leaving the bleeding and dismembered bodies of the security team spread out across the floor.  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>  
  
  
There was a rush of heated air and suddenly the Conduit was there.  
  
Azazel was watching Faith and Dean tear through their forces and enter the elevator through the closed circuit cameras. He looked over behind the huge desk and saw Buffy’s body with its feet propped up on the desk as it smiled at him "Problems?"  
  
He growled as he turned towards her "Faith isn’t dead and Sam Winchester just sent my daughter to Hell." he said.  
  
She shrugged slightly "Isn’t that where she’s from?"  
  
"Do something!" he roared.  
  
She looked up at him and the sense of gathering power filled the room as she stood up slowly "You want me to do something?" Small objects around the room began to burst into flame as she walked around the desk "You want to see something, you misbegotten demon?" He could feel the windows start to vibrate as everything glass in the office began to shatter. Lamps, clock faces, televisions, everything just began to shatter as she came within arm’s length of him "Still want some more something?" he could feel his own demonic presence begin to writhe in pain.  
  
"N-no" he choked out. When she continued, he eeked out a small "Please."  
  
The Conduit cocked its head as it looked at the tiny thing in front of it beg "And why should I?"  
  
Faith’s voice called out "Because you are going to need both hands to deal with me."  
  
Azazel’s body fell to the floor as The Conduit spun on Faith. They locked eyes for a moment and Buffy’s mouth asked in a sneer "Didn’t I kill you?"  
  
Faith gave her a smirk back "Didn’t take." and she raised her hand, motioning for her to bring it.This creature in front of her had killed Buffy. It was using Buffy's body like she was nothing more than a suit of clothes. It burned deep into Faith, and she had so many things she wanted to say to her almost-friend, but she never would. That meant doing right by Buffy in other ways. Kicking this fuck's ass and then? Being the best Slayer she could be. Not making the sacrifice meaningless."Soup's on, come and get it."  
  
Dean moved out of the way as Buffy flew through the air like a bullet, crashing into Faith, pushing them into the main reception area. Dean looked back at Azazel as he began to get to his feet slowly. "Ah, a Winchester" he said as his eyes glowed yellow "How did I know one of you…"  
  
And Dean shot him in the face.  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>  
Willow bore down on Sam with more power than she had ever channeled before.  
  
Dark energies raced through her body as she concentrated everything she had at the tall man. Sam felt the energy move around him, it hummed at a frequency right out of his hearing…but still he could tell…  
  
It was calling to him. It wanted to come to him. Not tear him apart, but fill him up. Love him, as much as power knew love.  
  
Closing his eyes he felt the energy around him and pushed it back at her. Like a cat batting at yarn, Sam moved the power to where he wanted it. Willow’s eyes flew opened as it cascaded around her from all sides, overwhelming her defenses in a matter of seconds. Sam felt the energy from the attack swell within him as he pressed it down on her again and again. Magical barrier after barrier shattered as Willow burnt the demonic force out of her, defending from the attack. As the last dregs of energy left her body, her eyes cleared to normal and her mind cleared instantly.  
  
"Custodia sanctus diabolus!" she called out.  
  
The magical energy obeying Sam crashed against a golden wall of light as Willow caught her breath. She could see Sam’s black eyes and demonic visage and knew, this fight was just beginning.  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
Faith felt something give in her chest as Buffy flew into her. Not the first broken rib she’d have, probably not the last. Probably not the last tonight. Slashing down with the axe Faith felt the blow deflect off the Conduit’s shields as Buffy’s fist drove into her midsection again.  
  
Kicking her off, Faith cursed under her breath as she saw Buffy begin to fly off of her and then coast to a stop in midair. "Oh fuck me" she said scrambling to her feet.  
  
Buffy’s crooked smile was chilling as she said "Maybe later.." she gestured with her hand as half of the office furniture in the room came sailing towards her. Faith flew into a series of flips and spins, dodging almost all of it, but even almost wasn’t everything. A solid stone paperweight sent a loud snap as it ricocheted off her temple. She staggered in place for a moment as another barrage of items came hurtling towards her.  
  
She was done dodging.  
  
She swung savagely with the axe, cutting whole desks and chairs in half as she began to spin it in front of her butterfly style. Wide arcs decimated the once fashionable office design into kindling. Faith glared up at Buffy’s body "That it? You afraid to come down here and fight me for real?"  
  
Buffy’s face hardened as she dropped to the ground and launched a powerful kick to the other Slayer’s head. Faith barely moved as the foot drove itself through about two feet of steel pillar. If the Conduit connected with that kind of force she was dead. As Buffy looked at her and smiled icily, it was obvious both of them knew that little fact. In a mocking voice Faith heard 'it' mimic her."You afraid to fight me for real?"  
  
Faith answered by unloading a series of attacks with the axe. She was disheartened to see Buffy block each blow with her bare hands. A flash of energy was released each time the metal made contact with flesh. A quick feint and Buffy almost snapped Faith’s leg out from under her as her right knee went numb. She backed up as the Conduit tried to finish the job with another blow. Buffy’s arm sank into the floor up to her elbow.  
  
"Crap" Faith muttered as she backpedaled best she could on one foot. This was one of those times to start thinking outside the box. The box full of teeth and collapsing walls.  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>  
  
Azazel slowly looked back towards Dean.  
  
Half of his head had been blown off, leaving a skeletal half face grin leering at the hunter. In a lisping voice he asked "Wassthh that the bessth you got?"  
  
Dean took a moment for the revulsion to pass as he cocked the shotgun again "Damn, what the fuck…Terminator was easier to beat than you." He pointed the barrel to the thing’s face as he fired again and again and again. Pumping the shotgun as fast as he could, he unloaded a full load into the yellow eyed face of the demon. When the weapon clicked empty, Dean pushed a hand into his jacket pocket to grab more shells when the figure blurred and broke the shotgun in half like straw.  
  
Dean had to pull his hands back as the metal and wood shattered like a child’s playtoy. He stumbled backwards as he tried to pull his pistol from his jeans but never got it to bear. Azazel leaped on him, a bleeding skull with pink meat clinging to it grinning at him as he pushed Dean to the ground. Dean felt his head hit the floor hard as he threw an elbow up to stop the teeth from tearing into his face.  
  
"What the hell, dude." he exclaimed "No means no." he said pushing him off with his legs. The demon sailed over his head, slamming back first into the floor. Dean got halfway to his feet when the thing scrambled forward, jumping on his back. Dean felt the thing begin to tear into his jacket with talon like claws as he hissed into Dean’s ear "Gonna gut you boy. Gonna make you scream…just like I did to your mama!"  
  
Dean wasn’t even sure if he was screaming from the pain or the rage as the demon bit down on his neck.  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>  
  
Willow encircled herself in a barrier as Sam pushed the attack forward.  
  
She knew the allure of demon blood that flowed through his veins. He was drunk with power and the more he used the more he wanted to use. Right now, to Sam she was a puzzle and he wanted to take her apart. It wasn't personal. She was a curiosity and he was puzzled. His power told him he could do whatever he wanted and by not flying into little pieces of meat, she was defying that need in him to tear the world apart. She knew the problem well. He lashed out again and again, but she was ready and her shields were in place.  
  
She knew she could sit here and hold the line indefinitely. He didn’t have enough juice to break her shields now that she was ready. But he looked…well at least part human. Which meant the more he burned the farther away from human he got. She needed to stop him and stop him fast.  
  
Calling upon Parvati, the Hundi divine mother, Willow called forth a ring of pure light to erupt around him. Feeling himself caged he lashed out at the walls, funneling even more power from his form. Bolts of power shot up around the perimeter of the circle, each one grounding him to the light even more. He screamed as he tried again to break free but he was in her house now.  
  
Narrowing her eyes she envisioned a platform of light beneath him. Slowly, inch by inch, she began to raise the light from his feet to ankles to his calves. He called out in fury as the light cleansed every cell of his blood of its demonic possession. He fought her every inch of the way; it became a battle of wills between them. His black orbs locked with her glowing white ones. Clenching her teeth she raised the platform higher as he screamed. She was so consumed in the battle she was clueless to anything else around her.  
  
Which meant she was completely unprepared for the bolt of eldritch energy that came flying into her back. Throwing her concentration out as she screamed out in pain. Her world blacked out as she fell to the ground. Sam looked up panting in confusion…  
  
Lilith stood in the doorway with a small smile on the child’s face. Glaring at Sam she said "So you’re the one I’m supposed to fear?"  
  
Sam felt the energy sputter as he concentrated at her, disoriented. "Kid, I don’t know who you are." he said feeling the demonic presence in her.  
  
She smiled slightly "Oh you will." she said as her eyes turned white.  
  
Sam closed his eyes and drew up as much power as he could to defend himself.. Lilith’s power lashed out striking Sam’s squarely in the chest. He went tumbling back across the courtyard in surprise. He felt his face bleeding as he looked up at the shocked look on Lilith’s face. She wasn’t ready for him to be alive. He went to raise his hand again as she gestured at him savagely. He felt himself grabbed and jerked into the air like a ragdoll. She tried to cover his face as he went hurtling facedown into the fountain. His entire world was engulfed into blackness as his head was forced under water. A pressure sat on the center of Sam’s back as he struggled to get up.  
  
Lilith stood at the edge of the fountain watching him drown "Aww poor Sam…you use too much power fighting the witch?"  
  
Sam tried again and again to summon whatever power he had to get him free of the water. But he felt his entire body exhausted as his head began to spin.  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>  
  
Dean felt the entire world explode into white flashes of angry light as he spun around trying to dislodge the damn thing from his back. He threw himself back into a wall as he felt the thing impact against the stone wall. "Get" he said slamming it into the wall "The fuck" he slammed again "Off my back!" he said slamming again. Except this time it was gone. Dean felt the brick crash into his head as he almost passed out form the blow. He staggered as blood trickled down his back, he looked up with the one eye that was still open and saw the same leering skull grinning at him.  
  
The thing shrugged as it said "You asked me to get off your back." it said grabbing the front of Dean’s jacket and throwing him across the room. Dean sailed the twelve feet from wall to wall and landed on the solid oak desk with a thump. He rolled off it as his body refused to move. In his mind he kept calling to himself "Get up get up get up" but his muscles refused to respond. At first he thought he was being lifted up by the demon’s hands until he hit the ceiling and stayed.  
  
He slowly flipped around as he looked down at Azazel, one hand extended. The skull chuckled "Awww…you look like your mom up there." He began to trace a line in the air, passing over Dean’s stomach.  
  
Dean cried out as he felt a razor slice into his abs, cutting him deeply.  
  
"Winchester" the demon said shaking his head "All of you…useless to the end."  
  
Dean closed his eyes as the pain became overwhelming, his vision blackening out for a moment.  
  
And then the pain stopped. He felt himself start to fall and then stop. Standing in the doorway was an older man, grey haired, glasses. Very asture looking. He was holding a hand up, levitating Dean above the desk. Slowly he set the young hunter down as Azazel looked on in shock. As Dean fell into the chair the man said in a British accent "My name is Giles." and he took off his glasses as he looked at Azazel "You can call me Ripper." and gestured his hand backwards. Azazel felt his entire form fly back and crash into the far wall.  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
Lilith felt his struggling get weaker and weaker as she continued to push down on him. Finally the motions stopped, the body slowly floating to the surface. She smiled as she looked down at him "Not much to be scared of at all, is there?" she said in that little girl voice.  
  
And then a gunshot rang out across the courtyard.  
  
She looked up and saw the steely eyed stare of John Winchester, pointing what looked like an ancient pistol at her. She looked down and saw blood start to stain her dress.  
  
"Get away from my son, you demon bitch." he growled as he cocked the gun again.


	9. Part Eight

Azazel felt as if his inner being was torn out of him.

  
He went flying into the back wall that made up the end of the huge office and crashed right through. Every particle in his host’s body felt as if it were on fire. For all the time he had doled out pain and suffering, he, himself, had never been manhandled like this before.

"Demonius Azazel procul ego!" that same mellow British voice called from the other room.

And the demon felt himself pulled through the brick wall again.  
  
Dean watched in shock as the older man first threw the yellow eyed demon through a brick wall as if it was nothing and then pulled him back through the other way. The demon skidded onto the ground, coming to a dead halt in front of the suited man. Without even looking away, the stranger said to Dean "Faith might need some help with the Conduit." a small cough as he cleared his throat "I have this under control."

Dean sat here stunned for a long second before he realized the man was talking to him. He pushed himself past the dull ache and ran from the office into the main atrium. Faith was slowly backing away from Buffy, the blond haired slayer blocking the axe with what looked like an electrical spark each time. Crouching behind the receptionist desk he pulled out his 9mm and took careful aim at the back of Buffy's head.

Squeezing once he fired a round behind her left ear.

Her head flew forward as the bullet ricocheted off the thing’s shield. As she spun around, her glowing eyes peering at Dean, he could see the small trickle of blood rolling down her neck. She looked as if about to say something as Faith plunged the axe’s stake like handle into her chest.

Another flash of light as Faith went flying off to the side, the sound of tearing cloth as the axe handle cut the sweater and flesh across the conduit's chest. Faith could see the realization in Dean’s face as she tumbled behind one of the stairways that littered the area.

The conduit couldn’t defend against two different fronts.

Running around to her flank, Faith screamed as she came hurtling at her, the gleaming axe edge singing at Buffy’s face. As the Conduit spun to deflect it another shot echoed through the area, clipping the entity in the back of her neck. If they could keep this up they had her.

Faith’s swing flashed off in a flare of light as Dean fired from another position in the office. He was moving to Buffy's flank as Faith was. The creature was snarling in rage as she focused on one of them and the other attacked.

Faith came around for another attack as she gave Dean time to get into place.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Lilith looked up in horror as she saw the flash of the barrel.

Her eyes pulsed white for a moment as the bullet slammed into the body, spinning it in a half circle before it dropped to the cement. John went running towards the fountain to pull Sam out, the Colt still in hand.

As the first shot rang out he dove for cover.

Ducking behind the base of the fountain more shots pinged near him, he took a second to glance over to see the white eyed police officer running towards him, arm extended as he fired.

John cursed as he holstered the Colt and pulled out his Berretta. Counting to five he ducked up and took half a second's aim as he fired. The cop’s knee exploded in a flash of red as he collapsed to the ground. John dunked one hand into the fountain, grabbing Sam’s waterlogged shirt and pulled him free with one yank.

A teenager on inline skates raced by the building, his Ipod making him oblivious to the commotion around him…and with white eyes made a 45 degree turn and began coming at John. The kid’s mouth sneered "How many innocents you ready to shoot today, John?" he asked.

John fired once at the kids skate as the teenager’s body rolled head over heels, doing a flip and a half before skidding to a stop. "Many as it takes." he said flipping Sam over on his back to assess the damage.

John barely had time to look up as a flock of birds came descending down on him. Pigeons, crows and even what looked like a wild hawk came screeching down as one towards his head. He rolled into a ball, covering his face as they made a wide pass at him before circling around again. He was never going to enjoy a Hitchcock film again.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Azazel had never fought a human so versed in demonkind before.'  
  
For every attack he tried, the damned monkey deflected it, binding him to the room. He had stopped trying to escape the man; all avenues of retreat had been sealed off.

"That girl" the Englishman said concentrating on keeping the demon in place "I believe she is being possessed by some outside power." his voice was grim and dangerous as he manipulated lines of force around Azazel’s body, locking him down. "For your sake" he said locking the spectral chains in place "You had better hope she can be recovered from that state." The demon screamed as the chains began to burn like holy silver on his skin "If not, we will bE having a more extended conversation."

Turning towards the outside office, Giles could see the hunter and Faith circle Buffy slowly. It was obvious his slayer had been possessed by some kind of alien force, her eyes aglow, floating in midair. Faith was gripping the axe of the Slayer with both hands, the look on her face made it evident she was not holding back.

Giles closed his eyes and focused the borrowed power of the coven around him. The last time he had wielded this much power he had gone to fight Willow who had gone insane with power and had threatened to destroy the world. But this was the Conduit for Wolfram and Hart, the channel of power from the senior partners to this plane. In a straight up one on one combat, he didn’t have a chance in hell. The power of all the covens on the planet couldn’t equal the senior partners' might on their weakest day. And from the way Buffy was glowing, this was not the senior partners' weakest day.

He needed to find another avenue of attack. It might be possible with Willow’s help to seal the building…

There was an explosion of light behind Giles’ eyelids as something came pounding down on the back of his head. He rolled with the blow, coming up to look behind him as he felt himself almost vomit from the impact. Standing over him was a non-descript man in a suit holding a large metal lamp in his hand. He was breathing heavily as he stood over him "Let. My father. Go." he commanded as he raised the lamp again.

Giles’ mind was too scrambled to cast a spell.  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  
  
The birds banked around for another pass as John moved to cover Sam’s face. He tried not to notice his son was not breathing. As they for to the apex of their turn and began to fly towards the pair of hunters again a shotgun blast exploded in the night air.

Feathers and blood sprayed everywhere as Bobby took another step forward firing into the flock again. John held a hand over his face and Sam's as pieces of the birds rained down on them. Finally, the last of the birds took off in random directions, the control over them obviously dropped.

Bobby ran over and skidded to a knee as John began to pump Sam’s chest with CPR. "Come on Sam" he said pushing on his son’s chest "Come on…wake up."

Bobby knelt down without a word and checked Sam’s breathing. Feeling nothing, he pulled Sam’s head back and wait for John’s fourth round of compressions before he blew into the young man’s mouth.

Sam continued not to respond.

"Again" John said as he started compressions again. Bobby took a look around the courtyard, wondering what Lilith was going to throw at them next.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Faith came in for a swing as Dean moved into position.

The conduit gestured with both hands. One blocked the axe with a flash of light, the other pointed towards Dean. There was a startled yelp as he flew across the room towards the floating Slayer. Faith tried to jump in the way, hoping to intercept Dean before he continued sailing across the entire office length. But the conduit flicked her wrist, throwing Faith down to the ground with a loud thump.

Dean tried to turn in midair, cushioning the blow as well as he could. But even Faith could hear the snap of one of his legs when he came tumbling down in the back corner. Buffy’s form turned to smile at Faith "Where were we?"

Faith felt the same familiar urge to kill that had been her constant companion since the day she became the Slayer growl inside of her. Instead of trying to control or dampen it, she urged it on. No more hiding. No more playing nice. She was not nice. She was not just any girl with just any life. This was her destiny. She was handpicked to kill evil, and this thing was on her plate. This creature had killed Buffy and injured Dean. There was no safe place now for the Conduit. Faith snarled and felt the ground bend slightly as she lunged at the Conduit, both hands on the axe as she went to strike the thing under her chin.

Buffy’s hands lashed out and grabbed the handle as well; both of them faced each other, the Slayer’s axe trembling between them. "You can’t win." the Conduit said as she pressed forward with an inhuman surge of strength. Faith felt her knees start to give as she slowly began to sink lower and lower. Her entire focus was in trying to hold her ground, so she didn’t have the time or the concentration to tell 'her' to fuck off.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Bobby heard them before he saw them.

John and him had been giving Sam CPR for the last minute and a half to no avail. Though it killed him to think it, he was pretty sure that Sam was gone. But John would not give up, his voice choked with tears he kept beating on Sam’s chest, willing the boy to get up, open his eyes, anything.

That was when Bobby heard it.

It sounded at first like something being drug across the concrete outside the office complex. The echoes of cloth and something else being shuffled along slowly across the rough surface. Standing up slowly Bobby half checked the shotgun in his hand as he saw the shadows move past the open doorway of the courtyard.  
  
Dozens of people came slowly shuffling in.

Homeless people, drug addicts, runaways, dozens to hundreds to too many to count came slowly walking into the enclosure. Bobby raised his gun for a moment and then lowered it "Trouble" he said to John.

John looked up and without looking back scooped up Sam "Fall back to the lobby."

Bobby nodded as the mass of people kept moving towards them. As they moved back Bobby saw the red headed girl unconscious as well and pulled her along with them "She’s possessing the whole lot of them." he said to John as they moved inside "We can’t just shoot them all."

John hit the elevator button with his elbow as he held Sam "Let’s hope Giles is doing better than we are."

Bobby nodded, but as the elevator doors closed, he didn’t see anything getting better.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Expello!" Giles called out as Azazel’s son took another step towards him.

The gust of black smoke rushed out through the man’s pores as the body collapsed like a puppet cut of its strings. The lamp thudded loudly next to him. Taking a breath Giles eased himself up, taking care not to injure his head any more than it already was when a gust of fire shot out over his head.

Ducking back down, the watcher could hear the demon "You’re dead English man!" He was free. His damned son had weakened the seal before attacking Giles, probably giving the yellow eyed bastard enough wiggle room to break it completely. "Come on Ripper!" he mocked "Show me your demonic skills."

Giles thought about it for a moment. Testing his skills and might against a demon as powerful as Azael was tempting, it had been a long, long time since he had played in that league. But as he saw Faith and Buffy struggling against each other he realized…there was simply a time when one grew up.

And stopped playing fair.

Reaching into his jacket he pulled out a small white disk, no larger than a silver dollar it had a button in the center. Giles pushed it as a red light began blinking, tossing it into the room he counted to five before closing his eyes.

Azazel looked down at the disk and smiled…he was so bored with grenades. He gestured and a large marble trashcan came flying across the room and covered the disk entirely. "Humans" he said sounded bored as he took a step towards the main office.

An omni-directional flash of white light filled the room, blinding the demon completely for a moment. He lowered his arm slowly and saw a dozen men dressed in black military gear surrounding him. "Clear!" a man said in a British accent. Every single gun was pointed at him as the man said "You are herby remanded by the Watcher’s council for crimes against the mortal plane." he said over his shoulder "Send this thing packing."

A young man stepped forward with a Bible in his hand. Azazel’s eyes widened as he began intoning the exorcism spell in perfect Latin.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Dean groaned as he blacked out for a moment.

His leg was broken, no doubt about that. The pain was lancing every time he barely moved it. He could hear both Faith and the conduit struggling behind him. He needed to help her. Grabbing the back of one of the large potted trees littered in about the atrium, he began to drag himself up slowly. The pain sent white flashes through his eyes as his head spun around from the pain briefly but he kept moving upwards. Faith needed him, he couldn’t let her down.

Propping himself up, he leaned against the stone pot and surveyed the situation. Both Faith and Buffy were holding on to the axe, the conduit was stronger as she was forcing Faith down to her knees. Dean began to look for a weapon as Faith went down another inch.

"No boyfriend, no friends, no nothing." the conduit said smiling "All alone and about to die." Buffy’s voice was full of sarcasm as she asked "Honestly, Faith…did you think it would end any other way?"  
Faith had to admit she didn’t. Fighting a losing cause all alone. That was exactly how she thought she would go out.

"Then you are a very stupid girl." a deep Jamaican voice said next to her. Faith looked over and saw Kendra standing next to her. Without another word she moved and placed her hand on the axe as well. "She was always a little slow." Buffy said on the other side of her "But then…who am I to talk?" she moved and put her hand on the axe as well. Another pair of hands moved, superimposed over Faith’s and then another. Girl after girl after girl after girl moved and lent their strength to Faith’s. Until the Primal’s voice whispered in her mind "You are never alone girl. We are always with you."

And Faith began to stand.

The Conduit’s face fell in shock as Faith slowly but surely forced her way from kneeling, to crouching, to finally standing. Faith smirked as she felt the Conduit start to give ground. Faith cocked her head "Tell me the truth, you unholy fuck…no boyfriend, no friends, no nothing." and she began to push the Conduit down to its knees "Did you think it would end any other way?"

Dean was still scrambling looking for anything to shoot when the elevator door opened, letting John and Bobby, who were holding Sam and Willow’s body out of the elevator car.

"Dad!" Dean cried in shock and joy as he tried to hobble closer to him. John looked in shock as Dean, leaning entirely on his other leg came hoping towards him for a moment before almost collapsing into him "I need your gun!" Dean said grabbing at John’s belt before falling to the floor.

John saw Dean go down, his leg unable to support him as he took aim with The Colt. As Dean was falling he fired once. With a boom, the bullet came screaming out of the barrel, there was a muted flash of light as the bullet struck Buffy in the middle of her back, ignoring the shields completely.

Faith saw the Conduit’s eyes grow wide as the shot slammed into her.. It was pure shock, no pain registering at first. And then Buffy’s face started to glow as flashes of light raced through her, she took a step back shaking from within as her entire skeleton was lit from within. Faith grimly watched the thing that had murdered Buffy taking its medicine. She only wished she could have made its pain last longer. Draw out the suffering until all it remembered was agony. But this was the way it was going down, and if it laid Buffy's spirit to rest and saved the world, well, it was enough. It had to be.

"You? You killed me?" The conduit said as the bullet worked its magic, destroying the Conduit forever.

Faith smiled as she looked at Dean lying on the ground looking up, smoking pistol in his hand. She would give credit where it was due. "No, not me. That was my boyfriend."  
  
There was the sound of rushing air as the Conduit left this plane, forever. Buffy’s body fell to the ground with an ominous thud. Like a dropped toy from a careless child's hand, the golden Slayer lay there unmoving.

Faith ran over to Dean, the angle of his leg looked as nasty as she had ever seen it. Being Dean, she was betting he was hurt more than he let on. He never quite gave up or succumbed as quick as someone else might. With a smile that was as private as it was quick, she knelt down next to him "That’s my man." she said in a low voice "Broken leg, taking aim while falling and still made the shot." he smiled up at her as she helped him up "Any idea how sexy that is?"  
  
He smirked as he winced from the movement and said wryly "Boyfriend?"

She smiled back "You said it first." It was a perfect moment.  
  
That was when he saw his dad, holding Sam.  
  
"SAM!" Dean cried as John set him down slowly.  
  
"I’m sorry Dean…" John seemed unable to say more as Sam’s corpse just laid there.  
  
Dean inched forward and placed a hand on his brother’s corpse. His voice refused to work. No one spoke as he began to cry over his brother.


	10. Part Nine

A long time ago…  
  
  
 _"I bet you can’t climb as high as I can." Dean said looking down at Sam, who was still struggling at the first few branches.  
  
Sam looked up with his eyes narrowed and lips pursed, which was Winchester for a few choice words that kids Sam and Dean’s ages weren’t allowed to say. Dean laughed as he kept climbing, the tree going on for seemingly miles.  
  
They were in West Kentucky on the farm of one of their dad’s friends for the summer. Dean was barely ten and had just reached the height where he could really get his climb on, while Sam, small for even 6, was just at the reach where getting into the tree was a challenge. They had been together all day and to be honest- Dean was sick of him.  
  
Sam had tagged along behind him for the last few weeks like a tiny little shadow. No matter where Dean had explored or how far he had tried to roam, there was Sam, right behind him, begging for Dean to keep up.  
  
It was when he had found the apple trees that Dean knew he had found sanctuary. His long legs had allowed him to jump up and grab the lower branches with ease, his sneakers dangling below him as he pulled himself up slowly. His upper body strength was getting better he noted, the pull ups his dad had told him to do were making a difference. Loving the feeling of his new muscles beneath him, he reached up for the next branch and then the next, getting farther and farther away from his stupid little brother.  
  
"Dean!" Sammy had whined, trying again and again to get to the first branch. Dean shucked as he kept going up, hoping the leaves would block him from sight below. As he broke through the crown of the tree he could see the whole countryside. The fields spread out in front of him like a pastoral buffet. The sun was just moving towards the horizon as the afternoon burned itself out. It was just about as perfect a sight that anyone could hope for.  
  
Dean hated it.  
  
He hated being stuck in Hicksville, population stupid, while his badass dad was out killing monsters and all that. He should be out there, Robin to his Batman, Kato to his Green Hornet, Luke to his Obi Wan. That was the only place Dean wanted to be, by his dad and away from here.  
  
But there was always Sammy.  
  
Stupid, sniveling Sammy who was worse than a tag along. He was an appendage.. He wasn’t just someone he could ditch, he was responsible for him.. And though that was cool for the first few years, it was becoming a fucking drag now. No time to just…be alone. Everywhere he went, here he came toddling along. He should have never taught him to walk, he thought bitterly as he heard something rustling in the tree below him.  
  
Poking his head back he could see Sam on the first branch, holding on for dear life. He looked up at Dean with flashing eyes as he said "Haha! I got up here!"  
  
Dean had to give the kid that, he did indeed get up there.  
  
"So what!" Dean said reaching for the next branch "I bet you can’t climb as high as I can!" and Dean took off up the tree. He watched out of the corner of his eye, waiting for Sam to give up and stop. There was no way such a little kid could make his way all the way up here. Dean climbed another three branches and stopped, watching his little brother cut the distance between them quickly.  
  
It wasn’t that he was tall enough to make it from branch to branch; it was that he was carefully examining each branch and judging where it met the next highest branch. He was climbing more branches than Dean had, but damned if he was making better headway than him. Sam stuck his tongue out as he made it to Dean’s level "I told you I could!"  
  
Normally Dean would have been impressed that such a small kid could have ever made it this far, but something in his little brother's tone, something in the smugness made Dean’s blood boil. Without a word be began to climb even higher, the branches becoming thinner as they reached the top of the tree. Sam took off right behind him, doing his little calculating move to catch up and pass Dean in seconds.  
  
Dean looked up and saw the branches ahead and said "Slow down, Sammy!" he called out "Those branches can’t support you!"  
  
Sam just laughed as he kept climbing "Can’t support you, lardass!" he grabbed even higher "Not for the spectacular Spider-Sam!" He moved his foot up to go even higher.  
  
When the branch in his hand gave way.  
  
Dean watched in horror as Sam’s arms pinwheeled wildly as he fell backwards from the trunk, slapping the branches he had just climbed as he fell. Holding on for dear life, Dean called out "SAM!" as he held a hand out uselessly since he was so far away. His heart stopped as he saw Sam vanish into the lower branches and out of sight. He heard more crashing and branches flying around and then a thump.  
  
Dean practically slid down the trunk, cutting his hands as the bark tore his skin open form the velocity. As he broke through the branches he could see Sam on his back on the ground, he wasn’t moving. He called out another strangled "Sam!" as he jumped to one of the lower branches and lowered himself down.  
  
As he knelt beside his brother he cried out as he shook him, he didn’t look like he was moving "Sam?" he cried "Sammy, wake up!" His brother didn’t even look like he was breathing as Dean shook him again. In a more subdued voice Dean said "wake up, Sammy…I’m sorry…wake up…" He held his brother closer as he felt his entire heart breaking.  
  
That was when Sam exploded into coughing, his arms grabbing Dean’s shoulder by instinct. "DEAN!" he called out, the fear and terror in his voice very real. Dean hugged him back as Sam held on to him like he was drowning.  
  
"I got ya." he said holding Sam’s head "I got ya, Sammy."  
  
Sam held on to him for several seconds before the memory of what just happened sank in. And very slowly he began to sob as the fear and adrenaline gave way to the pain. "My leg!" he called out, grabbing Dean even tighter as he moved.  
  
Dean looked down and could see the way his foot was pointing; it was at the very least cracked. At the worst, broken ankle. In the most soothing tone he could muster he said "Ok, Sam, ok. Come on, stop crying, you need to stop crying, Sammy."  
  
Sam buried his face in Dean’s chest as he wailed even louder; Dean slipped a hand under his knees and said "Ok Sam, Sam…Sammy look at me." Sam looked up, his face streaked with tears and dirt, he was biting his bottom lip as he listened to Dean "I need you to be a big boy now ok?" he moved his other hand to support his back "I need to pick you up, and it’s gonna hurt." Sam whimpered at just the thought of moving. Dean looked him straight in the eyes ""I need you to be strong, Sammy. Ok?"  
  
Sam shook his head no in fear. Dean looked at him and said a bit sterner "You can do this, Sam. I know you can." he looked up at the tree "Look at how far you climbed. You think a little kid can do that?" Sam said nothing "You aren’t a little kid, Sam…" and in a very low voice Dean said "…and I shouldn’t have treated you like one." Clearing his throat Dean said "So I need you to be strong...I need you to be a Winchester and take the pain, ok?"  
  
Sam nodded and said "I’ll try to be like you."  
  
Dean blinked a few times and he just nodded as he lifted Sam up and made his way to the farm. He would never leave his little brother behind again._  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >  
  
  
"SAM!" Dean called out as he knelt over his brother’s body.  
  
Sam's face was pale as the warmth slowly left his body. Dean placed a hand on his chest, as if able to imbue life through touch alone. Trying to push his own life and willpower into his brother. "Come on, Sammy…wake up."  
  
Faith looked on in horror as John looked away, it would have looked as if he was embarrassed by the show of emotion. But Faith could see the moisture in his eyes before he turned. The father was feeling helpless to save either of his sons. John could not bring Sam back to life and seemed to know Dean would die if his brother was gone. She turned her eyes from John's face, giving him some privacy. It was not over until it was over. She had learnt that in all her time as a Slayer. You didn't stop even when the fat lady was done singing. She crossed over to the brothers, silent as a breeze. She knelt next to Dean as he continued to talk to Sam.  
  
Giles walked into the room and stopped at Buffy’s body.  
  
 _"So that was…weird." Buffy said putting her sword away in the weapon’s locker.  
  
Giles stood staring at the table, the very spot The Master had fallen and impaled himself hours before. If Buffy noticed the stunned look on her watcher’s face she gave no indication "I mean it was weird going to a school dance and NOT burning the place down but I meant more the whole…saving the world thing." She turned to Giles "You think that’s going to be a reoccurring theme?"  
  
Giles saw the dust that was once the great vampire blow away under the cool California wind as he completely missed everything Buffy said.  
  
"Giles?" Buffy came up behind him and asked "Are you ok?"  
  
His normally implacable façade cracked as he took his glasses off "No I’m sorry, I’m afraid I’m not." His voice was strained with the first real emotion she had heard since he had walked into her life as her instructor.  
  
In a hesitant voice she said "What’s wrong?"  
  
He looked at her with undisguised shock "What’s wrong?" his voice got a bit rough "What’s wrong?" he shook his head "My god Buffy you died tonight and you’re asking me what’s wrong?"  
  
At first her face had been scared of the intensity of his voice but when he admitted that she just laughed nervously "Oh that, it’s ok.. I got better."  
  
He stared at her for a very long time without speaking. Which was, in her opinion, worse than talking in that weird tone of voice. After about a minute he sat down and said "It is not in any sense, ok."  
  
She pulled up a chair and sat next to him. She now wished anyone had stayed after with her to clean up. Willow or Xander or even Cordeilla would be better suited to handle this. Ok that’s not true but at least then it wouldn’t be her dealing with it. She placed a hand on his "But Giles…I’m right here." she waved slightly in front of his face "Not dead. Hello?"  
  
Giles looked up at her and smiled "Buffy that is not the point. I am your watcher, and I allowed you to die." he sighed deeply as he said "You aren’t even an adult…"  
  
Buffy sat up straighter "I’m an adult." she protested "I’m 17." he looked at her "In fall. And I can get into R rated movies by myself, I understand 2 out of every 5 references made on The Creek on my own now and I am even thinking about someday considering maybe having sex." Giles’ eyebrows shot up in surprise  
  
"Maybe." she amended. "The point is I am an adult."  
  
He sounded so sad when he said "That definition alone confirms you aren’t an adult." he paused as he looked at the floor "I failed you tonight Buffy. And I am sorry."  
  
She sat there not knowing what to say for a moment and then she grabbed his hands with hers. He looked up as she smiled and said "Bullshit." He looked shocked as she said "Complete and utter bullshit." he looked to interrupt but she talked over him "You go on about how I am the Slayer and the chosen one and all that and then say I am not an adult? If I can stake a vamp at 30 yards in the dark in heels, I am an adult. And no one failed me tonight." she paused "Except maybe my lung capacity. But if this is going to work" she made a gesture between him and her "This whole slayer/watcher thing, we need to get a few things straight."  
  
He paused and then said dryly "Ok"  
  
She nodded "Well for one, I may not be all book smarts like Willow, but I know enough between a bad fight and an even worse fight. Two, unlike other slayers I have a lot more going for me than just my right hand and a piece of wood." she made a face "Wow…I think I just whored up a whole slew of slayers. And three" she looked up in the eyes with a seriousness he had never seen before "If I die, it is on me. It is my choice. Not your fault. You got that?" he blinked a few times in surprise "There is no such thing as a free ride, or a free lunch, or a ride to a free lunch." she looked up thinking "Or something like that. What I mean is that this story ends one of two ways. Either I destroy all evil and settle down with Luke Perry with our 2 and a half kids…or I die." she paused "And that’s ok Giles. Well not ok I want to go and die like tomorrow, but if I die because I am saving the world or something…that’s ok. And that is not your fault." she smiled "So get it? Luke Perry or death, Either way, you didn’t fail me." he felt himself choke for a moment as she sad "You will never fail me Giles. I can feel it.."  
  
And then she stood and stretched "Ok…major slayage crash." she said yawning "I am beat…you mind…" and said looking around at the wreckage.  
  
He was stunned for a moment, the amount of faith she had in him and the stark lack of fear she faced about death.  
  
So completely like a slayer.  
  
He nodded "Of course, go. This can wait for another day."  
  
She smiled suddenly "Another day. I like that." She turned and walked out of the library. She paused at the door and turned around "Bye Giles."  
  
He waved once as she left "Good-bye."_  
  
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>  
  
"Giles?"  
  
He looked up and saw Willow standing there, barely. She was a bit wobbly as she tried to regain her composure. He went over and gave her a shoulder as she smiled "Sorry…kinda Bambi like in my standing."  
  
"It’s ok." he said holding her up. He heard her gasp as she looked down  
  
"Oh no." she began to fall as he helped her down next to Buffy. He was fine up to that point but seeing Willow so openly weep at the loss of her friend, he felt his own tears start to fall as they held on to each other in grief.  
  
Faith looked over and saw them kneeling next to Buffy and felt a pang of regret go through her soul. She patted Dean on the back as Bobby moved next to him. She gave Bobby her place. She had to go to Giles and Willow. For what it was worth, she wanted to be there for them. She was never certain of her reception with either, but that she would risk. It was most important to stand over her fallen comrade in respect. She bowed her head as she started to move over to them. She had thought Dean was oblivious to her presence but as she took a step back he called out "Faith?" She turned and saw him looking up at her.  
  
The look in his eyes was tearing her apart. She wanted to pull his face to her belly and rock him, just hold on like she could protect him from everything. He said nothing for a moment and then just shook his head "Nothing. Never mind." he said starting to look down and then back to her quickly "Please don’t go far."  
  
She felt her heart break in empathy as she saw the fear and worry in Dean’s eyes. She just shook her head "I’m not going anywhere. I just need...for Buffy..." Her words were stilted, but she saw understanding in Dean's eyes. Acceptance. He spoke her shorthand. They silently communed before she turned to go to Giles and Willow.That seemed to make him feel a bit better as he went back to Sam.  
  
She walked over as Willow straightened Buffy’s sweater out. Willow was trembling all over, her hands shaking as if her nerves were frozen fast and cold. "She…she can’t…" but she couldn’t finish. "Not again." she said softly.  
  
Faith stood there, not sure if she was allowed to join them or not. Giles looked up and saw Faith standing there, holding the axe and he smiled slightly "It looks good on you."  
  
Faith looked shocked for a second and then down at the axe. She held it up "This? This isn’t mine." she said feeling her own throat start to swell as she just fell to her knees. In grief, exhaustion, whatever it was, she just fell. She looked over to Buffy and said "This was always hers." she reached out and opened Buffy’s hand, trying not to notice the stiffness of the golden Slayer's fingers, placing them around the axe "I was just borrowing it."  
  
Giles started to say something when Faith felt a jolt move through her body and then through the axe. There was a visible flash of light as Willow's eyes grew wide in shock. Faith stiffened for a moment as if being shocked by electricity, seconds later Buffy’s body did the same. Buffy’s eyes flew open in shock as she gasped loudly. Giles almost took a step back as blood began to flow from Buffy’s bullet wound.  
  
Willow's pale hands lashed out, weaving over her friend’s form as she chanted "Rememdium seco!" Willow could see the wounds start to heal and then break open fresh as the blood kept flowing. She cast the spell again and again, to no effect. In a panic she looked over to Giles "Help me!"  
  
He froze for a moment, not knowing what to do.  
  
He had berated Willow once for trying to bring back the dead before. Upsetting the balance of the natural order of things was too much a risk when dealing with magic. But here Buffy was, gasping for breath, literally. He wasn’t sure he could just watch her die again.  
  
The world fell out from under Faith as she was pulled back to that beach. She was hip deep in freezing water as Buffy stood across from her; they were both grasping the axe. Faith yelled over the incoming tide "Walk back to the shore!"  
  
Buffy shook her head "I can’t!" the water impacted with them, almost throwing them under "I can’t make it!"  
  
"Yes you can! If you want it bad enough, you can do this!" Faith yelled "You're not alone, B. I’ll help you. Just walk back with me!"  
  
Faith took a step back; she felt the whole of the ocean claw at her, trying to pull her in. If this was an hour before- she would have thought there was no way she could have fought against that pull. She would have said it was just too powerful, and she was all alone. She would have feared the undertow and blanked on all the reasons she could not lose to it.  
  
She knew better now.  
  
"Help her out!" Faith called out, feeling the axe sing for a moment. Buffy looked in confusion but before she could say anything hands came out from the water and grabbed her waist.  
  
Kendra stood up from the water and placed her hands on Buffy’s hip. Buffy looked in shock for a second and then she felt the dead slayer start to push her forward. Faith pulled again as another set of hands emerged from the waves. One by one they slayers stood up, pushing Buffy towards the shore. But Faith knew, it was her, it was her half steps back to the sand that were bringing Buffy back. There was something passing between the two of them, a vitality that was moving from Faith into Buffy through the axe. She could feel it was part of her life passing away, part of her own soul she was giving up.  
  
She gritted her teeth and pulled harder.  
  
Step by step they walked back, the water receding inch by inch from their legs. Every single step was sheer torture.  
  
Giles looked down and knew, he had been wrong. There was no way he could sit here and watch her die. Not like this. He placed his hands on Willow’s shoulders as he passed the coven’s power into her. The witch’s eyes flared white as she pulsed power into Buffy’s body.. The wound healed instantly, various cuts and bruises all over her body began to reverse themselves.  
  
Faith almost stumbled as Buffy took a step forward towards her. Faith felt her lose her footing as the axe slipped from her hands. As she fell onto the wet sand she felt the water rush up her back and instantly began to pull her in. She panicked for a brief second; her only thought was she had told Dean she wasn’t going anywhere. She looked up and felt Buffy’s hand grab her wrist. Buffy looked down at her and grinned "Going somewhere?"  
  
Kicking back, Faith was able to drag herself back to the beach, both of them panting with exhaustion. Both of them laid back on the sand, the urge to just close their eyes and sleep was overwhelming.  
  
"I still hate you." Buffy said with a smile in her voice.  
  
"Back at you sister." Faith said smiling herself. Deciding to be nice, she added, "But you don't suck all the time."  
  
Once she felt some strength return to her body, Faith sat up slowly and saw Buffy sitting next to her. She handed Faith the axe "Here."  
  
"It’s not mine." Faith said, unwilling to even touch the thing.  
  
Buffy smiled at her with genuine affection "Yes. It is."  
  
Faith gingerly took the axe as there was a flash of light around both of them.  
  
They opened their eyes as one.  
  
Faith pulled back, the axe in her hand as she fought the urge to pass out completely. She looked over and saw Buffy laying down, barely moving.  
  
Faith saw Giles smiling down at Buffy as the blond asked confusedly "Am I late for class?"  
  
Giles smiled as a tear rolled down his cheek "No, I think you can skip this one." She nodded and closed her eyes to rest.  
  
"Help him!"  
  
Faith looked over and saw Dean looking at Willow "Please! You have to help him!"  
  
Willow face grew grim as she bit her bottom lip. "Dean I…" she hesitated "…I can’t heal him. It’s not possible."  
  
Faith thought she would never see Dean cry. But here he was, looking at Willow "Try!" and in a very weak voice "Try?"  
  
Willow hesitated, looking at Sam Winchester like he was a creature of the night. Faith thought that might be exactly what he was to Willow. But inwardly, Faith didn't think Willow needed to be throwing those stones. Glass houses and all. Willow shook her head and saw Dean’s face crack with emotion. He out his head down on Sam’s chest, pleading to whoever would listen.  
  
"Giles" Faith said moving to the Watcher "I have an idea." she said taking him aside and talking to him for a few moments. She did not let go as she told him he could do this. That he was fucking well going to do this. Faith kept it minimal, but if ever a Slayer had mixed threatening with pleading, she did. Dean was not going to lose Sam. Not today. Not when there was a way. Giles pulled back and looked at her like she was crazy for a moment. But she just nodded and looked back to Sam.  
  
"You’re kidding." he said, face white as a sheet.  
  
"What do we have to lose?" she said, trying to implore him silently.  
  
Giles walked over and knelt down next to Dean. Placing a hand on Dean’s back he pulled him back "May I examine him?"  
  
Dean looked to him for a second and then to Faith, who nodded. He leaned back, never getting out of arm’s reach of his brother. Giles passed a hand over Sam’s long form and gasped. He froze as Faith said more than asked "It’s true, right?"  
  
Giles looked at her and nodded. Closing his eyes he began to chant "Ego advoco procul hoc corpus Sam Winchester!" there was a summoning of power as the room grew still. In a louder voice Giles chanted "Ego advoco procul hoc corpus Sam Winchester!" the lights began to flicker as the building began to shake around them. Willow looked around for a second and then called out "Everyone get down!"  
  
Faith helped John and Bobby down as Willow dropped quickly. There was an explosion as all the windows on the floor shattered inward. A rush of wind moving from all directions towards them. Giles, cut and bleeding called out again over the din "Ego advoco procul hoc corpus Sam Winchester!!" There was the sound of a sonic boom as Sam’s form rose off the carpet. Lights began to dance around him as he floated and twitched in midair. Giles’ hands flashed with power as he called out one last time "Ego advoco procul hoc corpus Sam Winchester!!"  
  
The silence was deafening as the wind, the lights, everything vanished. Leaving everyone in the room stunned by the sudden absence of everything. And then there was the sound of something screaming in the distance in a guttural voice that became quickly distant. Only Giles could hear Azazel screaming that next time, he would keep the soul.  
  
When the lights came back on, Sam was lying on the ground blinking up in confusion. Nobody moved for a second and then Dean saw his brother moving. "SAM!" he called out, rushing forward and grabbing his brother tightly. Sam sat there, letting Dean grab him without protest but not understanding anything.  
  
In a weak voice he asked "Dean?" Dean pulled back and grabbed Sam’s face in both hands.  
  
"Sammy!" he choked "You look…" Dean paused "…like crap."  
  
Sam pushed Dean’s hands away "Screw you." he said weakly as he began to topple over. Dean reached out and steadied him.  
  
"Ok, ok" he said making sure Sam was ok "You can’t go falling over without yelling timber." he said gripping Sam by the shoulder tightly "We’d be responsible for anyone crushed beneath you."  
  
Faith grinned as she walked over and sat next to Dean. He looked back at her and smiled "Thank you." he said with a deep voice "Thank you for…"  
  
She shushed him with a kiss, knowing if he knew the truth, he wouldn’t thank her at all.  
  
John, who had watched the entire thing in shock slowly walked over to Giles and stood behind him "How did you do that?" he asked in whisper.  
  
Giles looked behind at the man and sighed "I believe we need to talk about Sam." he said looking back, watching Dean fawn over his brother like an overprotective hen and Sam try half heartedly to fend him off.  
  
"Not now." Giles said "But we will need to talk about him."  
  
John sighed, afraid of what he already knew.  
  
But for now he just smiled and walked over to his sons. Happy as hell that for the moment, they were all together and alright.


	11. Part Ten

And they lived happily ever after.

That was how this was supposed to end. That was the ending that everyone had earned. They had fought the good fight, slain the dragon and even brought the incredibly tall prince back to life. The end of that story should have been…and they lived happily ever after.

But as Faith had found out more than once, life was not a fairy tale.

Everyone was still in that euphoric haze that came with coming back from the dead (it seemed to be a new experience for the Winchesters) when the team of guys dressed in the military black camos came out of the office. Faith noticed with a raised eyebrow how both John and Bobby adjusted their stance slightly, their hands resting closer to their guns automatically. For all that she had her eyes trained to the hunters, she was not one hundred percent sure where she stood on things. Part of her, most of her- said she was standing where Dean stood and would sort the mess from there on. She more than owed it to him. Even if there was no 'them'- Dean deserved to get out of this intact- with his small family by his side.

The men still had their weapons raised as the man in charge surveyed the room. Giles held up a hand and moved towards them "It’s ok." he said interposing himself between the Winchesters and the men "Stand down, everything is ok."

But the men didn’t stand down and everything was not ok.

The squad leader pulled the face mask off after taking off his goggles. His hair was matted down from sweat and he looked a bit flushed from all the action. He looked at Giles and then his eyes flashed to Sam, still lying on the floor with Dean helping him sit up. When he looked back to Giles he gave him a silent look as if to say "We need to talk."

Problem was John had seen the same look.

"You have a problem with my son?" he said taking a step behind Giles, who was barely able to stop him from pushing past him.

"Rupert" the man said in a cultured British accent "A moment please?"

Giles and the man stared at each other in silence for a good ten seconds before he sighed and said "In the office then." and gestured to the open door.

John almost instantly grabbed his shoulder and said "If there is any talk about Sam…"

The squad leader interrupted "This is Watcher Council’s business…" which brought a snarl to the older Winchester’s face when Giles simply said "Of course you can join us, John." he locked eyes with the other watcher "This is his business as well."

The man looked like he wanted to argue but then turned to his men "Fan out, secure the perimeter." and to another set of four "Lock down the lobby, I don’t want anyone in or out." His eyes danced over Sam, Dean and Bobby but he didn’t say anything.

Faith felt herself grip the axe tightly as she stood up "What the hell!" she called out "These people are the good guys! They just helped save the world."

The undisguised look of disgust that passed over the man’s features brought ice water to her veins for a moment as he said "I am completely uninterested in what you consider good or bad, thank you."

Faith froze, mouth half open as Dean scowled from the floor. The room was quiet, frozen with tension when a feeble but still a sarcastic voice said "Dick much?"

The man looked over at Buffy who was sitting up with Willow’s help. Realizing he was losing this battle he turned on his heel and walked into the office; John and Giles closely following him.

The door closed as Dean looked up at Faith "What the hell was that about?" Faith just shrugged as she watched the room, but she was lying as she made sure not to look at Sam.

She could not take Dean's moment away by sharing with him her theories about his brother. That was all she had. Ideas. Nothing definite or proven. It wouldn't do anything but make things worse, she told herself, and if it made her feel less of a traitor for biting her tongue- she could not help that. Would Dean kill the messenger if the messenger was saying Sam was a demon?

Possibly.

To protect his brother and to stop it from being said again, Dean might endanger himself. Faith was not concerned that he would attack her- no- but the armed men from the Watcher's Council? It could go real bad real fast. So she held her tongue and silently hoped Willow would do the same.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"What the hell do you think you’re doing?" John said in a low tone as the door closed. The other watcher leaned against the huge wooden desk, looking at the older hunter with the most patient look he could muster.

"Excuse me sir but I don’t answer to you." and he turned to Giles "I do not answer to you either." he said stiffly.

"Be that as it may." Giles said securing the man with a look "You will explain what exactly you plan to do next."

"I plan on taking that…" he paused looking out towards the lobby "…that boy into custody. He is a clear and present supernatural threat."

"What?" John roared "Have you lost your god damned mind?" John’s presence was intense as he crowded towards the watcher. He took a half step and in a move that Giles had to admit was flawless, the other man pulled his pistol out in one neat motion, aiming it directly at John’s eye.

In that smug English accent he said "Please step back, sir." It was obvious the way the man’s hand did not waver or shake; he was fully willing and capable of pulling the trigger. When John didn’t as much blink he said "Your son is not human." he said it so plainly, so completely blasé that it was obvious John didn’t even understand what he was trying to get across.

And then from his eyes it was obvious he got it.

And in a move that Giles had to admit was beyond flawless John whipped a hand out, grabbing the gun in one motion and the man’s wrist in another. In one economical burst of movement he had the watcher down on the ground with his face plastered to the run. His pistol jammed into the base of his skull "You ever" he said through clenched teeth "Say anything about my son like that again and there will not be enough left to fill a doggie bag." he pushed the gun in harder to make his point "You got that. Ever."

Giles had to give the other watcher credit; he did not call out or say anything. He simply laid there and waited for the man to finish. In a low voice Giles said "I’m sorry, Mr. Winchester, but he is right."

John paused and looked back over his shoulder at Giles, his eyes wide with shock. Which was more than enough time for the other watcher to knock the gun out of his hands and get to his feet. But John didn’t move or react, he simply kept staring at Giles in disbelief.

"I am very sorry, John." Giles said "But it’s the truth."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

After a few moments Dean stopped glaring at the door and went back to caring for Sam. "You ok?" he asked in a voice that made Faith smile "You wanna try to stand?"

Sam nodded but didn’t say anything. He simply tightened his arm around Dean’s neck and tried to get his feet under him. Normally Faith would have thought balancing all those legs might have been a chore, but after coming back from the dead…no way it was happening easy. Sam had to get used to his gangly body again, find his balance.

Sure enough Sam began to take a tumble and Faith moved in on his other side. His arm went around her automatically as Dean and Faith were both doing their part to make him vertical. "Hold on…" she said making sure he was steady enough to try again. She looked over and caught Dean beaming at her in the moment; she could only guess how much it meant for him to allow someone else to help Sam. Together they got him to a chair and sat him down, Dean guiding him with his voice the entire time like he was guiding a truck.

"Ok…going down…slowly…slowly…" he went on until Sam’s ass made contact with the chair. With a sigh all three of them disengaged, Dean’s hands hovering around Sam to make sure he didn’t topple over.

Sam weakly slapped his brother’s hands away "I’m not an invalid." he said holding on to the edge of the chair for dear life.

Dean batted Sam’s hands with a bit more force and said "Hands off ,slappy…you’re hurt."

"Not that hurt." Sam shot back, his jaw sticking out in defiance.

"You’re more hurt than you think." Dean countered.

"I’m fine!" Sam shot back.

Dean’s mouth opened to retort when Faith interjected "Ladies!" she called out "Seriously…do you guys need a room?"

Both of them looked at her for a second, their scowls were identical for being so different. Dean said under his breath "That isn’t funny."

"Damn funny to me." Bobby said walking over. He slapped Sam on the back of his head "You just came back from the dead ijiot." Sam yelped as he rubbed the back of his head "Give yourself some time." and he looked up at Dean "And he’s alive and safe." Bobby smiled "So it’s ok."

Dean kept staring at Bobby for several seconds before he let out a long breath he hadn’t known he was holding. His shoulders slumped as he stood up and murmured "Thanks, Bobby."

The older man just nodded as he began to examine Sam.

He turned back to Faith with a small smile "Hi"

"Hi yourself" she said smiling back. He put his arms around her and she couldn’t help but return the favor.

His forehead leaned against hers "Did I say thanks yet?"

She leaned into him and laughed "Yes"

"Have I said I am grateful for everything you’ve done?"

She nodded.

He said in a lower voice "Have I showed you how grateful I am?"

She looked up into his eyes and grinned, wondering if a girl could have an orgasm from Dean talking like he was. The look on his face was making her heart go into hyperspeed. "Not yet."

"That’s gonna have to change." he said in a tone that exuded pure sex.

Which was when the sound of gunfire and screaming came from the elevator. Both Faith and Dean moved in front of Sam and Buffy as the sounds grew louder. Over her shoulder Faith said "Willow?"

The witch’s voice called back "On it." A shimmer of light fell upon the lobby, encircling Willow, Buffy, Sam and Bobby. Faith looked over to Dean and he nodded back. They both looked at the door and waited. There was the sound of more shouting and then silence as they all stood in rigid readiness. Faith silently admired that Dean knew the score, that there was no off the clock time in their lives. Not really.

The elevator pinged as both Dean and Faith reared back.

As the doors slid open there was an incredibly beautiful man standing there with dark hair and wearing a floor length leather duster. In his hands he carried Jessica’s unconscious form, on the floor was the watcher’s team out cold. The rest of the team cocked their weapons as half a dozen red dots appeared on his chest.

Dean was ready to throw down as Faith dropped the axe in shock "Angel?"

He looked at the men and then nodded "Faith" he held out Jessica "This belong to you?"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Define not human?" John said in a dangerous tone.

Giles began to explain "He has demon blood in him. He is infected on a level that cannot be reversed." he sat down as he sighed "I am afraid that Azazel has changed him."

John continued to ignore the other watcher as he asked "Changed him how?"

Giles paused for a moment "Changed as in he is closer to demon than human." he said "He has demon blood, powers and a unique name. Which was how I pulled his soul back into his body." he looked at John with tired eyes "I didn’t resurrect him; I summoned him back into his body."

John rocked back and placed a hand on the desk as he steadied himself. The room was silent as the other watcher said "He is a danger to everyone around him." he said "If he was to somehow able to tap those powers…" he trailed off, not able to finish his sentence.

"Sam has the potential to do great harm." Giles said "But that is not an eventuality."

John looked up quickly "What?"

"We don’t know that." the other watcher said but Giles ignored him "It is a potential, not a sure thing."

"How do we stop it?" John asked quickly.

"It’s not that easy." Giles said taking his glasses off and cleaning it "It isn’t a thing you can stop." he looked up "Only dissuade."

John paused and said slowly "You mean…it will always be there…"

Giles finished for him "…but if he was free of a lifestyle of stress and risk, the odds of those powers coming to light…"

"You mean being a hunter?" John asked.

Giles nodded.

"We aren’t talking about this." the watcher said "We are bringing him into custody. The fact he can be brought back using a spell like that only shows he is a dangerous entity that must…"

"Call the council." Giles said suddenly "Call them and make sure."

"My orders are very clear..." he began to say.

Giles stood up and gave him a look that had backed down major demons in his time "Call. The. Council."

The man looked to argue and then pressed his hand to his ear "Council one this is Rogue one, come in please."

There was a pause as the council communicated back. The man then said "I am requesting clarification on subject Winchester, Sam. Do I have a retrieval order?"

Another pause and the man’s face went pale "Pardon council one, can you repeat?" Another pause and the man said "But council one, the subject is a clear and…" they could all hear the voice from the earpiece from where they stood and the man made a face as the shouting obviously pained him. Finally he said in a low voice "Copy that council one, rogue one out." the man sighed and looked over to Giles "We have order to leave him alone."

Giles tried not to smile as he said "Really?"

The man nodded "They sited…Yellow Crayon Protocol?"

Giles raised a hand to his mouth as he said "Well then…let it be done."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Wesley turned off the communication console and asked "You liked that didn’t you?"

The man in the newly tailored suit put his feet up on the table and smiled "I really did."

Wesley walked by and slapped at his feet "You are a watcher now." he said "Act like it."

Xander put his feet down and grinned "Come on, you’re just mad because I thought of calling John and you didn’t."

Wesley didn’t say anything but he did smile back as he sat down "Whatever happens with Sam Winchester now falls on you. From this point on whatever maybe happen…"

Xander held his hand up "Faith believes in him." he said "The same way I believed in Willow." He put his hands behind his head "What can I say? I am a sucker for happy endings."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Dean took Jessica from the guy and was shocked to see Faith move forward to hug him. Angel hugged her back and she whispered "Watcher’s council, Giles is in the office."

"She ok?" he whispered back.

She nodded "Walk towards the field, Willow will let you in."

He smiled back "You got this?"

She looked back at him "What do you think?"

Angel let her go and strode towards the field. The sound of one of the watcher’s council called out for him to stop but he didn’t hesitate as the field passed over him. One of the tried to move in and found the field more than solid.

"Friend of yours?" Dean asked her from behind, his voice was low and it was obviously pissed.

She turned around and cocked her head. Dean was jealous and a little possessive. She wanted to drag him into a corner and make him way too blissed out to wonder who she was into. She let the thoughts slide into her eyes before she shook her head and smiled archly. "That one? That one is Buffy’s." He stood there holding Jessica as she went on "Like that one is Sam’s." she took Jessica from Dean and kissed him "Like you are mine."

Dean kissed her back and smirked "You mean like you are mine."

She raised an eyebrow "We’ll see." she walked over to Sam and laid Jessica down next to him. The look of relief on his face was so much like Dean’s…Faith smiled as she understood she was seeing the start of something special.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Buffy woke up slowly.

She looked up and a blurry form looked down at her. She squinted her eyes "Willow…did you do something with your…" and her vision cleared.

And she stopped breathing.

He looked exactly the same as he had the first day she met him. Those eyes, that smile, that hair…she just smiled and said "You came."

He just nodded and said softly "Of course."

She paused and then said "I died again."

"You keep doing that." he said.

"Yeah…kind of an occupational hazard right?" she said. She saw his face darken for a moment and she sat up "What?"

There was no one on Earth that lied worse than Angel. There was something about his soul that seemed to just turn itself away from lies and falsehoods. She asked again "What is it?"

He moved a strand of hair out of her face "You…smell different."

She tried not to sigh as she said "What have I said about the smelling thing?"

He shook his head "Close your eyes." She stared at him for a long few seconds and he said "Trust me. Close your eyes." Trust was not an issue when it came to him and she closed her eyes. She heard him ask "Now…can you sense me?"

She went to ask what he was talking about when she noticed. Her stomach wasn’t knotted, she felt nothing odd as he held her. She opened her eyes in shock and realized…she couldn’t tell he was a vampire. She asked in shock "You…you’re still…um dead right?" He nodded.

"Oh" she said softly as she realized…she wasn’t a slayer any more.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

They all walked out of the office as one.

The other watcher signaled the team to drop their weapons as John walked over to his sons. He looked at Dean "I need that pistol."

Dean looked at him in confusion and then remembered the old style six shooter he had pulled from his father’s belt. He handed it over and John turned to Giles. "You sure you won’t let me keep this?"

Giles smiled and nodded "I am afraid that Colt is a very old and very powerful artifact. It belongs to one of our oldest agents." he took the pistol gently "You happens to be a hunter now." he said off handedly "Maybe you know him…Elkins?" John went to say no when he caught Giles’ look. The watcher said "There is absolutely no way the watcher’s council would lend you this gun to go after Azazel should he ever return." and he leaned in "But maybe a hunter might."

John was quiet for several seconds and then he said over his shoulder "Ok, let’s head out."

Both Sam and Dean looked up at their dad. Sam said "I need to get her back to Stanford…I mean we both need to…"

John held up a hand "You are going to college. I get it Sam." he looked at Dean "You ready?"

Dean looked at him and then to Faith. Without making eye contact he said "No sir, I have…I mean…" he swallowed and then looked at him "I’m staying here for a while."

John paused and then looked over to Faith, who just stood there and smiled. He looked like he was going to say something and then Bobby walked up to John and whispered something in his ear. After a second John nodded and said "Ok then, come on Sam. Let’s get you two back." Sam picked Jessica up as John and Bobby walked towards the elevator.

Sam leaned in towards Dean "I like her." Dean nodded as Sam continued "So do yourself a favor. Don’t be yourself and screw this up." Dean made a face as Sam smirked at him and added "Thanks for coming to get me." he said "It was fun…one last time."

"Last?" Dean asked. Sam looked down at Jessica "Yeah…last." Dean looked like he was about to start an argument when John called out "Come on Sam…we’re burning daylight." Sam shrugged and walked out carrying Jessica. Dean stood opened mouthed as the elevator closed.

Faith walked over to him and out a hand around his shoulder "You ok?"

"Last?" he sputtered looking at the elevator.

Faith drew him close "Give him some time, Dean. Sam needs to ...you know... have some Sam time? Get to be a man and have a girlfriend. Go to some classes. It's like his thing. Besides...after the day he had? Calling it fun? I think he'll want to play some more...just...for now..." she said pulling him into a kiss "He wants to spread his legs some."

Dean sighed as he said "Hell of a lot of legs."

She was about to kiss him when Buffy and Angel walked towards them. "Faith?"

"Damnit" she muttered as she pulled back from Dean "What’s up?"

"We need to talk." Buffy said, Angel was still letting her lean against him.

"Talk away." she said leaning up against Dean herself. It was nice having a lean to. Buffy sighed as she was about to say something and Faith realized she was still holding the axe "Oh here" she said handing it back "This is yours."

Buffy looked her directly in the eyes and said seriously "No. Not any more it isn’t."

Faith swallowed hard as Buffy began to explain.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Dean sat in the office trying not to lose his cool.

They had been talking for over an hour now and it obviously wasn’t good news. The English guy had made a lot of oh my noises and cleaned his glasses like twice and the red head had looked at the axe and then to Buffy like someone had died. Whatever it was it was serious and it didn’t involve him. He had walked away and searched the office for something to drink. Finding a 70 year old bottle of scotch he had found the view from this high up relaxing.

72 minutes and half a bottle later Faith walked back in, she looked like she had just been told she had six months to live. He noticed she still held the axe. She came over and sat on his lap, taking the tumbler from his hand and finishing it. She leaned up against his chest as he pulled her close and played with her hair.  
  
He asked in a very level voice "You’re going back with them."

It wasn’t a question, but a statement.

She nodded as they continued to watch the L.A. skyline "I have to."

He nodded but said nothing as they stared.

After a few minutes she said "I’m the slayer now." her voice sounded very far away "Well the only real slayer left. Buffy is just a girl." she sounded jealous.

"Ok" he said tightly. He tried not to sigh himself.

She leaned up "I don’t have to you know." she said "We can just ditch them and take off." her voice was rushed almost desperate "Just you and me…the open road…gone."

He smiled but she noticed it didn’t reach his eyes "No." was all he said "You can’t do that."

"Yes I can." she said tears forming in her eyes. For him, to erase that look from his eyes? She would do it. God, for herself, she'd do it, because she had Dean...or nearly had him before her life slammed around her like steel bars.

He cupped her face with his hands and smiled "Look Faith. You have been running form this your entire life." she wanted to pull back and ask him what he knew about her damn life…but she could see it in his eyes…he knew. "You want to be wanted and you need to be accepted…but every time you get close you run away from it." He jerked a thumb back towards the lobby "Those people, they need you right now. And you want to help them." he smiled and his face lit up "You want to help them so bad." he touched her lip with his thumb and said "I’m not going nowhere." he said "You need to go. Go." and he leaned in and kissed her cheek, catching one tear as it fell "I can wait."

She felt her head go down; she couldn’t look him in the eyes "I can’t ask you to wait."

He held her chin up and forced her to look at him "Who said you were asking." He pulled her in for a kiss and her arms wrapped around him. As the sun set on L.A. they knew this wasn’t the end of anything.

This was just the end of right now.


End file.
